My Mad Cat Man with a Box
by Starrylibra
Summary: I met the Doctor when I was in Rome. He was unforgettable but so was I. He showed me impossible things from the ordinary to the extraordinary. He showed me life and I showed him how to live again. 6th Doctor (Colin Baker) with aim to include other incarnations and familiar characters.
1. Chapter 1

**My Mad Cat Man with a Box **

Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own the Doctor. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Doctor Who.

**Chapter 1: It came from the Catacombs beneath St Peter's. **

'I'd run if I were you'.

That was the first thing he ever said to me and I took his advice. He followed as I ran through the winding labyrinth of tunnels I didn't even know existed mere hours ago, fleeing from some impossible being. After what seemed an eternity, we reached the blinding light of day.

'Are you alright?' He asked with an English accent laced with concern.

'I'm fine,' I replied, 'But what the hell just happened?'

'Er... hard to explain.'

My eyes finally adjusted to the sunlight and I looked at him properly for the first time. Masses of curly blonde hair, clear blue eyes, and a coat that was outdone only by Joseph's with a cat badge on the lapel. He was the most eccentric man I had ever laid eyes upon yet so captivating and – in an odd way – sort of handsome. 'Try!' I demanded.

'Well there was something down there that shouldn't have been. Besides from you, of course' He gave me a reprimanding look causing me to redden slightly. 'Something that doesn't belong on this planet'.

My heart sunk. His appearance did suggest it, but here was the definitive proof that I was talking to a mad man. 'An alien?' I asked sceptically.

'I believe so,' He said, ignoring my scepticism. 'I'll have to return to see what I'm up against'.

'You can't go back down there! I don't know what it was but it'll kill you!' I exclaimed. He smiled at me and disappeared back the way we'd come. I sighed and followed him, hardly knowing why. After all, I didn't even know the name of this mad man...

'You really shouldn't have followed me, you know. It might be dangerous and I have no desire to look after you'.

'I can look after myself, thank you,' I scowled. 'Who are you, anyway?'

'I'm the Doctor. Who are you?'

'That's not a name'

'Nonetheless, that is who I am. And _you _didn't answer _my _question'

'Rosaline'

'Were you looking for Verona when you stumbled upon these catacombs?'

'Very funny. You shouldn't be here either'

'Oh I often go to places that I shouldn't. All part of the fun you... shh I think I hear it!'

I stayed silent as he pushed me closer to the wall and slowly edged towards the corner, nearing his supposed alien.

'But that's impossible!' He declared loudly, startling me. 'You should be on Peladon hundreds of years from now' I heard growling that was definitely getting closer. Suddenly a beast rounded the corner and the Doctor pushed me behind him. 'Come now, old fellow, don't you remember me?' The creature growled more and moved closer to us. The Doctor backed away a few paces, keeping me behind him. 'Oh dear, I suppose I have changed since we last met, you don't recognise me'. I could see him fumbling in his many pockets trying to find something and finally pulling out a golden pocket watch. He began singing a beautiful song whilst swinging the pocket watch, lulling the beast into a slumber. 'Venusian lullaby,' he replied to my unasked question. 'An old favourite of Aggedor's here'.

'Is that a... a Minotaur?' I asked timidly.

He turned to face me and smiled. 'It's an Aggedor. Native of the planet Peladon. He won't harm you now, I've hypnotised him, have a look'. He moved aside and I slowly stepped towards the beast. It was grunting softly but I did not feel as fearful as perhaps others would. He looked like a cross between a bear and a boar.

'Can I stroke him?' I asked.

'Stroke him?' The Doctor repeated, incredulous. 'I suppose so, if you want to'. I reached out a nervous hand and stroked his head. It was almost like petting a dog and I let out a small laugh. 'Come on, I should get him back to Peladon before he wakes up'.

'But he's not really an alien. I mean, he can't be! Aliens don't just appear in Rome!'

'Indeed? What is it then?' He asked whilst untying his cravat and putting it around Aggedor's neck as a makeshift leash.

'I don't know, a cross-breed of some kind, I guess'.

'Cross-breed? Ridiculous' He started to drag the animal back towards the entrance and reluctantly, I followed.

'Well what else? How would an alien get here? And how are you so knowledgeable about it?'

'I don't know how it got here,' He admitted, 'But I intend to find out'.

I realised that questioning him further was pointless so elected to walk in silence for the remainder of the journey. Lost in my thoughts, it took me a long while to realise that we had been walking for too long. 'This isn't the way, where are you taking us?' I demanded.

'Er yes, I appear to have forgotten the way. Nothing to worry about, we'll be out soon'.

I sighed and took the lead, taking care to nudge past him in the process. 'Men and directions...' I muttered.

'Nobody knows these tunnels, it's easy to get lost!' He defended himself. Within five minutes I had found the correct path again. A further five and we were back at the entrance. 'Well, I had begun to get us on track again...'

I rolled my eyes. 'If this creature really _is _an alien, how do you propose to get him back to his home planet?'

'Never you mind,'

I rounded on him. 'Never mind? If it wasn't for me, you'd still be wandering those tunnels! I think I have the right to know'.

'I would have gotten out eventually, I just lost myself for a moment. Now away with you, I'm a busy man!'

'No, I'm not leaving without answers!'

'Alright! You may come to Peladon with me but I'm taking you straight back here afterwards, no buts, understood?'

I hesitated. Was it safe for me to follow this unhinged man who truly believed he was about to travel to another planet? I decided to humour him. 'Understood'. He stopped outside an old English police telephone box and fumbled around his pockets again. He then produced a key, unlocked the box, and gestured for me to enter. 'Why would I go in there?' I asked with raised eyebrows.

'I thought you wanted to go to Peladon?'

'Yes, but what does a police telephone box have to do with it? Are you playing tricks on me?'

'Suit yourself,' He shrugged and entered the box with Aggedor in tow.

'I'm going to regret this' I thought to myself as I followed them in. What I saw actually made me stumble backwards slightly. I was no longer in a telephone box but some kind of console room with the futuristic, impossible console in the centre. The Doctor was watching me with a smarmy smile on his face. 'What... how?' I managed to get out.

'Welcome to my TARDIS,' The Doctor said. 'Time and Relative Dimension in Space,' Seeing my blank face he added: '...my spaceship'.

'But it's... it's... it's bigger on the inside!' I exclaimed with some trouble. 'How is that possible?'

'I'm not going to go through that all now, we'll be here all day. Off to Peladon we go!' He pressed an assortment of buttons and pushed random levers and the room jolted.

'I need to sit down!'

The Doctor glanced at me. 'Yes, you do look rather pale. Come'. He put a comforting arm around me and led me through a door into a bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed and put my head in my hands. 'I did try to warn you...'

'Who are you?' I muttered, without moving.

'The Doctor, I told you that already'.

'_What _are you?'

'I'm a Timelord from the planet Gallifrey. I travel through space and time. Would you like some water?'

I removed my head from my hands to see that he was crouched next to the bed, at eye level. 'So... you're not human?' He shook his head. 'I knew aliens had to exist in such a vast universe but I... I don't know, I guess I thought we'd know if they were on Earth. I could be friends with aliens without even knowing!'

'There aren't aliens just running around Earth, you know. Well, most of the time... but the planet hasn't been invaded'. There was a massive crash coming from outside the bedroom and the Doctor stood up. 'What was that?'

'It's your ship, you should know!' I retorted. There was another crash and a growl. 'Erm... I think Aggedor might have woken up'. We glanced at each other and ran for the door. 'That isn't a good thing, is it?' I asked, knowing the answer.

'Not as such, no. _But_ if I can just get to him, I can hypnotise him again. Stay here!' He ran off towards the console room. After a moment's pause, I followed and waited at the door. 'Hello, old chap, did I wake you?' Aggedor growled menacingly and the Doctor backed away from him. The Doctor fumbled in his coat again for his pocket watch, seemingly unaware that Aggedor looked ready to pounce. I ran in and caught Aggedor's attention so that he went for me instead. 'What are you doing Rosaline!' The Doctor exclaimed as Aggedor raised a claw ready to swipe at me. The Doctor put himself between us and sang that beautiful song again, lulling Aggedor back to sleep. Then he turned on me. 'I thought I told you to stay put? I will _not _be held responsible for you!'

'He was about to attack you! If it wasn't for me you'd be dead!' I cried, angry at his ungratefulness.

'And if it wasn't for _me, you _would be dead!' He replied, just as angry.

'Well then,' I said more calmly, 'It's a good thing we were both here'. I smiled and stroked Aggedor. The Doctor glowered and announced that we had reached Peladon. 'You mean we're actually on a different planet? Is it safe, I mean, is there oxygen? Is there gravity?'

The Doctor's gaze softened. 'You'll find the atmosphere similar to Earth's. Ready to step out onto a different planet?' I wasn't convinced that I was ready but I slowly nodded anyway. The Doctor held out a hand which I gladly accepted and grabbed his cravat with the other so as to bring Aggedor with us. We left the TARDIS and I found myself in some kind of throne room. 'Welcome to Peladon' The Doctor said with a squeeze of my hand.

'Halt!' I turned my head towards the sound to be greeted by three guards aiming guns at us.

'Wait!' The Doctor demanded. 'We're looking for the monarch. I'm the Doctor and this is Rosaline, we mean you no harm!'

'The Doctor?' One of the guards questioned. 'That name has been passed down through Peladonian legend. You are not he. He was much older than you, and although his garb was just as unusual, it was not the same as yours. He travelled with a woman named Jo the first time he came here then Sarah Jane. Never a Rosaline. Seize them!'

'I am the Doctor I tell you. The very man who helped Peladon into the Galactic Federation and later released Peladon from the chains of the Ice Warriors! I have changed my appearance, certainly, but I am the same man!'

'Why do you come here?' The guard asked.

'To return a friend to you,' He pulled Aggedor towards the guards who recoiled. 'I found this fellow on Earth and captured him to bring him back. Let us go to the tunnels beneath this castle so we can release him'.

'On Earth? Impossible. You must have stolen him and we have caught you trying to escape! Seize them!'

'That's not true!' I interjected indignantly. 'We _were _returning him. What would we want with this creature?'

'Come now, we all know the value of Aggedor horn. You would have sold him on the black market'.

The Doctor groaned. 'See sense man! Take Aggedor back and let us leave, then everybody wins'.

The guard smiled coldly. 'The theft of Aggedor is punishable by death. I declare you guilty and shall permit your execution. There will be no appeal'.

The Doctor put his arm around me. 'But we haven't had a trial! You cannot condemn us to death so easily!' I exclaimed. The other guards grabbed the Doctor and I whilst the leader took Aggedor. They led us out of the throne room into a long corridor. All of a sudden, amongst our protests, I could hear a familiar growling sound. Aggedor had woken up again. He jumped up to attack the guard holding him causing the other two flee. The Doctor grabbed my arm and pulled me back to the throne room and into the TARDIS. He flew around the console flicking switches and pressing buttons and she jerked into life. 'Where are we going now?' I asked, breathless.

'Into the tunnels beneath the castle. We still haven't found out how Aggedor ended up in Rome'.

'You mean you want us to risk our lives just to assuage your curiosity?' I asked incredulously.

'I'd also rather like to get my cravat back'.

'You're insane!'

'There's a fine line between insanity and genius, my dear,' He said walking towards the doors. I sighed and followed him. I realised that I had no idea who this man really was but I would always follow him. 'Now then. There must be a clue somewhere' The Doctor frowned. 'Perhaps we should...'

'Shh!' I interrupted him. 'Footsteps,' I whispered before he could ask. I'd already come to notice that he had a very loud voice.

'...Let him get away?'

'Aggedor attacked me and my men fled. That was hardly my fault!'

'I know the Doctor, he won't have left Peladon. He'll want answers before he leaves. Have all of your men out searching for him! I want him brought to be alive'.

'Right away, sir'.

I turned to the Doctor, who looked surprised, and opened my mouth to speak but he covered it with his hand and pulled me in to the shadows just before the owner of the first voice walked past. It was hard to make him out in the darkness of the tunnels but I could see that he had dark, receding hair and a dark beard, and was dressed in all black.

'The Master,' The Doctor muttered to himself.

'You know him?'

'He, too, is a Timelord, Rosaline. But not like me. He is a renegade and a great enemy of mine'.

'So he must have planted Aggedor in Rome, knowing that you would find him and return him to Peladon where he would capture you. Well now that we know that I guess we can leave!' I turned to return to the TARDIS but he held me back.

'Not quite. The Master always has a greater goal. Maybe he needs me for something. Whatever it is, I must find out and stop him!'

'Must you play the hero?'

'If I'm right – and I always am – then the Master's plan will involve the loss of countless lives. I can't let that happen'.

'I suppose you're right'.

'As always'.

'What shall we do then?' I asked, ignoring his arrogant remark.

'I have a very important task for you. Find Aggedor and retrieve my cravat. Here is my pocket watch, do you remember the lullaby?'

'Yes. You're ridiculous, you do know that?'

'That cravat was a present from Louis XIII!'

'What? Oh never mind. What are are you going to be doing?'

'Finding out what the Master is up to, of course' He spun on his heel and walked the way the Master went.

'Now I know he's crazy. He's going to get killed and leave me here stranded if I miraculously escape from Aggedor unscathed. And I'm doing as he asked and going to the angry beast whilst talking to myself! I must be crazy too'. I wandered around the tunnels wondering why I was once again in a labyrinth that I shouldn't even know existed and how I would even find Aggedor. Every so often I would hear the footsteps of guards and I would melt into the shadows. They often appeared from dead ends and I couldn't figure out how that was possible. Eventually I managed to catch a couple pulling a torch off the wall to reveal a passageway. I followed suit and finally found myself back in the castle.

'Aggedor is still on the loose near the throne room. Nobody can control him. He's already killed Yortis and has critically injured Paelesh. I don't know how we're supposed to get him back to the tunnels'. I suddenly heard a guard say, just feet from me.

'Perhaps we should ask the Magister?' His companion suggested.

'Well it's better than getting our arms ripped off, let's go'. They walked off together leaving me with the knowledge of Aggedor's whereabouts but no clue how to get there. I walked around hoping to find the corridor outside the throne room again and at length heard a mighty growl coming from the direction I was heading. I picked up pace and, sure enough, discovered the strange creature outside the door of the throne room. I glanced around to make sure there were no guards nearby and crept towards him, holding the pocket watch ready. I started to swing it and sang the sweet lullaby, praying that it would work. My prayers were answered and the beast began to snooze. I took hold of the cravat and encouraged Aggedor to follow me through the corridors. To my great relief, I quickly found another secret entrance to the tunnels through a wall with a torch. I dragged Aggedor a little while away from the entrance and sighed in relief. I began to walk away then realised that I had forgotten the stupid cravat. I quickly returned and released the still sleeping beast and returned to the concealed entrance. Mission accomplished somehow. Now time to find – and probably save – the Doctor.

I could just walk up to a guard and they would take me to the Doctor but it would be as their prisoner and I needed to be free so as to help him escape. My best bet was probably to bring Aggedor with me to scare off any guards so I returned once more to the tunnels and coaxed him out. I used my belt as a leash, to save from the Doctor's reprimands. I remembered the direction the guards I had overheard were going so I set off for that way hoping it wouldn't be too hard to find my way afterwards. I turned what seemed my billionth corner and found a door with a man guarding it. I snuck up to him and told him quietly to let me in. He reached for his gun but faltered when he saw Aggedor and ran in the opposite direction. I opened the door slightly to peek in and saw the Doctor tied up, facing me, and the Master facing him and talking.

'… so you see Doctor, I do hate to ask you for help but I cannot bear to remain on this primitive planet any longer'.

'You know I'd never help you with this. You'd destroy the castle if you succeeded!'

'That is a price I am willing to pay. Help me, Doctor, or I shall kill every being on this planet. It's your choice: the castle or the planet?'

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by that all familiar growl. Aggedor had once more woken up and he charged towards the Master, knocking him off his feet. I ran to the Doctor and untied his bounds. 'Hurry, we have to go!' I screamed.

'Help me, Doctor!' The Master begged.

The Doctor snatched the pocket watch out of my hand and hypnotised Aggedor a final time. 'Come with us. I can take you back to Gallifrey,' He said to the heavily bleeding Master. 'I can heal your wounds'

'Oh wouldn't you just delight in that, _Doctor_' the Master spat. 'I do not require your help. Leave me'.

'You'll die if you stay here!'

'I'll never die, Doctor. Not so long as you are still alive'.

The Doctor looked at the Master for a moment then turned away. 'Let's go Rosaline'. We took Aggedor back to the tunnels, took back my belt, and found the TARDIS in silence. Once inside, the Doctor started her up as usual.

'Why didn't you leave him to Aggedor?' I asked.

'Could you leave somebody to die?'

'But he'll die now. He's losing too much blood,'

'He won't die. He's escaped worse situations. He's right, he never dies. Now, it's time for you to go back to Rome'. I passed him his cravat, which he eagerly put on. 'That wasn't so hard, was it?'

'Why did the guards say that you couldn't be the Doctor because you didn't look like him? I thought it was just a ploy to have you arrested but he sounded sincere,' I asked.

'What were you doing in out of bounds catacombs in Rome? You're not even Italian,' He replied.

'I found the entrance by chance whilst on holiday and thought I'd explore. Your turn'.

'When Timelords are dying, every cell in our bodies regenerates. We change our appearance entirely and it affects our personality slightly too. I last came to Peladon a long time ago with a different face,' He explained.

'So that's why you're a bit mad!'

'Mad? I told you, there's a fine line between madness and genius and I am most certainly the latter! Mad indeed'.

'The Master will regenerate then. That's why he won't die'.

'No, he cannot regenerate. We have the ability to do so twelve times and he has already used up all of his cycles. A guard will find him and take him to a doctor before he bleeds out. Here we go, Rome. Perhaps we will meet again someday, but I highly doubt it'.

He opened the doors for me to leave and turned away. 'Is that it? I risk my life to get back a bit of cloth, save your life _twice _and you push me aside as if this were nothing?' I asked, grabbing him to make him look at me.

'You're not coming with me. I don't need the responsibility. My last companion... it was my fault. That's not going to happen again. From now on, I'm on my own. Good day!' He pushed me towards the doors but I resisted.

'I don't want to come with you. You're a mad man with a box and an affinity for danger. Count me out. I just want a proper goodbye and a little gratitude!'

He laughed, making his curly blonde hair jiggle, and bowed. 'Goodbye Rosaline, not of the House of Capulet. Thank you for retrieving my cravat. Goodbye. I won't forget you in a hurry'.

I curtsied. 'Goodbye, you strange, strange man'. I left the TARDIS and turned around in time to see it disappear. I thought I'd never see it again. How wrong I was.

A/N – First Doctor Who story so be gentle. Bit slow (much like the older episodes!) but pace will improve. Hope it was enjoyed! Please come back for more :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: I'm Over the Moon to See You**

It had been six months since I'd met the Doctor but I thought about him daily. There was just something about him that was so... entrancing. He'd said we'd probably never meet again and I was okay with that at the time. I'd never have admitted it to him, but from the moment I met him in the catacombs to the moment I left the TARDIS, I was terrified. Books and television always make adventures out to be so exciting, the protagonists brave and confident. But I wasn't either. Sure, it was exciting but the fear easily outweighed any excitement I might have felt. And I've never been brave or confident; I've just been me. It was a relief to continue my holiday and pretend that nothing out of the ordinary had happened then to go home and pretend to everybody that it had been a perfectly ordinary holiday. For a while, at least. But soon I was back to work, living that old, monotonous life, wishing for something interesting to happen. Not Aggedor interesting, just something different. I thought of the Doctor more and more, wondering what he was up to and if he'd found somebody else or stuck to his word of solitude. What had happened to his last companion? Who were Jo and Sarah Jane? Was he talking about one of them? I knew there was no point dwelling on him but I just couldn't help it. I was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on anything else so I decided I'd take another holiday. Just me, the sun, and some sexy French men if they had no objections. Bonjour Paris et au revoir Docteur!

It was 29th July 2013 when I left for a week in Paris. I was catching the Eurostar from St Pancras International and so made my way to London by train. When I arrived into London, I walked the short distance to Earl's Court tube station and couldn't believe what I was seeing there. I froze and so did he. That blonde haired, slightly chubby alien who plagued my every waking thought. Behind him was the TARDIS. He held up a hand in acknowledgement and I walked towards him.

'I actually found you. I truly am incredible!' He said when I reached him.

'What are you doing here? I didn't expect to see you ever again, never mind this soon!'

He frowned. 'How long has it been?'

'Six months. Look, now's a bad time, I'll miss my train to Paris!'

'Paris? What are you going to Paris for?'

'Holiday'.

'Holiday? Do you just spend your life travelling?'

'Don't you?'

He smiled. 'Ah. Fair enough. Well never mind the train, I can take you to Paris and we can go to any year you fancy too, not just 2013. How about the Olympics of 1924? The French Revolution? The First World War?'

'You mean, we could actually go to any date? What about the future?'

'Any date whatsoever. Well, perhaps not 16th October 1793'.

'What happened then?' I asked, straining my memory of French history.

'Marie Antoinette was executed. I'm not so sure mine is the last face she'd want to see...' He looked uncomfortable.

'You say the strangest things'.

'Yes, well. Paris. You choose the year, I'll get us there, what do you say?'

'3013'.

'Your wish is my command. Into the TARDIS with you'.

I followed the Doctor into that old police box and away we went. 'Why is it a police box on the outside?'

'The TARDIS is designed to camouflage into her surroundings but the chameleon circuit jammed when I was in 1960s London. I did fix it a while ago but the camouflage was getting ridiculous. It became a pyramid once on Ewin 9. So I stabilized it to stay as a police telephone box again. I'm rather fond of it'.

'A pyramid? I would've liked to see that. I love ancient...' I trailed off and looked at the Doctor who raised a questioning eyebrow. 'Hey... I don't suppose we'd be able to go to ancient Egypt sometime?'

'You know, to the ancient Egyptians it was just known as "Egypt". But yes, the TARDIS is capable of that'. At that moment, the TARDIS shuddered and jolted so violently that I was thrown into the wall with the Doctor landing on top of me. 'Something's wrong.' He said unapologetically whilst climbing off of me to get to the controls.

'Is it bad?' I asked, slightly panicked whilst attempting to right myself.

'Very bad. The gyroscopic stabiliser is malfunctioning' He flew around the console pressing buttons whilst the TARDIS jerked and bounced around. 'We're going to crash! Hold on!'

'I knew I should have gotten the Eurostar!' I screamed. After a few more violent jolts, we landed with a thump. I breathed out heavily. 'It's still in one piece!'

'Of course it is. It takes more than a crash landing to break the TARDIS'. The Doctor picked himself up from where he had fallen in the crash and examined the console.

'Are we at least in Paris?' I asked, testing the stability of my legs.

'Ah. Not exactly. Let's go have a look outside, shall we?' The Doctor offered me his arm which I took after giving him a sceptical look. He opened the door to let me out first and nudged me forwards when I did not move. He was right, we certainly weren't in Paris. We weren't even on Earth!

'Doctor, just where exactly are we?' I said as I gingerly surveyed the surrounding area. We appeared to be on rocky terrain and sky in front of us was a large planet comprising mostly of water with small islands scattered around.

'The moon of Lambda 5 in the galaxy Messier 63. Not quite Paris,' He said nonchalantly, moving further away from the TARDIS.

'Not Paris, no,' I said angrily.

He turned to face me. 'What's the matter Rosaline? Most people would be thrilled to be here'.

To be truthful, I had always dreamed of the stars. Whilst most children wanted to be the next Britney Spears, I wanted to be the next Galileo. Here I was standing on the moon of a planet completely unknown to Earth in a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wasn't thrilled at all. 'I would have been thrilled to be in Paris'.

'Open your eyes, Rosaline! Look around you. This place makes Paris look like a bog. Look upon these stars never before seen by human eyes and tell me that Paris is significant!'

I sighed. 'I just wasn't expecting this. Why did you bring us here?'

'Me? Bring us here? The TARDIS brought us here, my dear, as a result of the gyroscopic stabiliser breaking. It caused us to bounce off course a bit. But we shouldn't waste this opportunity, there's exploring to be done!' He waltzed off once again.

'Doctor! Wait!' I hurried after him. Can the gyroscopic stabiliser be fixed or are we just going to bounce around the universe for the rest of our lives?'

'You worry to much, my dear. Come, we're quite safe. This moon is uninhabited'.

'What about Lambda 5?'

'Hm? Well that's inhabited by marine life. They won't bother us. Look, a meteor shower!'

I looked up at the sky to see more meteors raining down than I had ever seen at once. It made the Perseids look like a dripping tap. 'It's incredible' I breathed.

'Quite,' The Doctor agreed.

I noticed that I was standing very close to him but he didn't seem bothered by it. He put an arm around my shoulders and told me the story of the world above us.

'Doctor?' I interrupted eventually.

'Mmm?'

'Why did you say that you had found me? You know, back at Earl's Court?'

'Because I had, naturally'.

'Were you looking for me?'

'For a long time'.

'Why?'

He dropped his arm from my shoulders and faced me. 'Because I shouldn't have let you leave. It's been two years since Rome and Peladon for me. I travelled alone as I said I would, making friends everywhere I went then leaving them and moving on. It's so lonely Rosaline. It's not exciting. Your exasperation and bewilderment made it exciting again after...' He trailed off looking miserable. 'You're capable of looking after yourself. You're capable of looking after me better than I am. I spent so long looking for you because I want you to come with me'. He looked down at me with clear and sincere eyes.

'You're mad. Utterly, utterly mad!'

'So you've said before. I might add that it wasn't easy finding you, you know. All I had to go on was an English woman named Rosaline!'

'How did you manage it?'

'I'm brilliant. That's how'.

'It's a wonder your head fits through the TARDIS door!'

'You'll drive me mad one day'.

'It's too late for that. But you still want me to come with you? I suppose you need me to keep your ego under control!'

'I need you to keep me company'.

'Where would we go?'

'Anywhere. Everywhere. We have the entirety of time and space at our fingertips!'

I looked at him properly for the first time, wondering if I really could agree to travel with this stranger, this alien. 'Why do you have a badge of a cat on your lapel?'

He growled in slight exasperation and said, 'Because I like cats. Cats are cool'. All I could do was laugh.

'Will it often be like Peladon? Will we get into dangerous situations?'

'What's the point in being alive if you aren't living? I'll look after you, I promise,' he smiled.

'More like _I'll _look after _you_!' I sighed. 'Okay. Let's travel through time and space. God help my sanity!'

The Doctor beamed in delight. I'd never seen a smile that big on him before. 'Let's walk further around the moon before we leave'. I followed him and realised for the first time in my life who I was: Rosaline Butler, the Doctor's latest companion. But what was the fate of the others? And what would be my fate? I was just a naïve human following a mad man into a box.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: From Russia with Love**

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor looked at me and asked where I wanted to go next. 'You know where I want to go!' I replied. He looked at me questioningly. 'Paris!' I exclaimed with exasperation.

'Still?' He sounded surprised. 'Very well then. As soon as I fix the gyroscopic stabiliser, that is...'

'And how long will that take?'

'Hard to say. Of course, it'll take a man of my intelligence considerably less time that it would take somebody else. Why don't you explore whilst I get to work? Don't get lost, I've got better things to do with my time than to search for you'.

'Lost? How big is this place?'

'Infinite,' he said, ducking underneath the console, indicating that the conversation was over.

I walked through the same door that I had walked through the first time I had entered the TARDIS that had led to a bedroom. The bedroom was through the door to the right and it was there I went first. It was simply furnished and I got the impression that it wasn't the Doctor's room. It had an air of femininity to it and I guessed that it belonged to a former companion. I found a small wardrobe with bright coloured shorts and tops in, confirming my beliefs that it was a woman's room. I left and carried along the corridor, peeping through every door as I past them. There was a kitchen with futuristic looking devices inside, a large dining room with a mahogany table and marble fireplace, a massive bathroom with an Olympic-sized bathtub with clawed feet, and several bedrooms that all seemed to have belonged to who had left without warning. I walked deeper into the TARDIS down winding corridors and the rooms got increasingly more bizarre. A large swimming pool, several squash courts, a cricket green, what could only be described as a cloister room, and the largest library I'd ever laid eyes upon. The library held my interest the most. Most of the books were clearly not from Earth but there were also some I recognised. I chuckled as I saw H. G. Wells' "The Time Machine" wondering if he'd gotten his inspiration from the TARDIS. I reached out to peruse a book entitled "Famous Timelords of Gallifrey" when I felt a hand on my shoulder, causing me to gasp. I turned around to see the Doctor.

'It's fixed' he said smugly.

'Are you certain?' I asked.

'Certain? Of course I'm certain! Come, let me show you to your bedroom'. He took my hand and led me out of the library and deeper into the TARDIS. Presently we arrived at a door identical to all the others and the Doctor led me in. There was an ornate four poster bed in the centre of the room, and all of the furniture seemed something out of a fairytale. The walls were pastel pink, the furniture white, and the bedding, floral.

'It's lovely! Thank you'

'I thought you'd like it. I just made it'. He declared proudly.

'Made it? What do you mean?' I asked.

'Well I just used the Architectural Configuration System to create a new bedroom. It didn't take long'.

'You mean you can just create rooms like it's The Sims or something?'

'The Sims? What's that?'

'A computer game where you create a family and build them a house and develop them'.

'Humans really do come up with the strangest things. I've never been able to understand sporks'.

'Nor me'.

'But I can create and build rooms almost instantaneously in the TARDIS, yes. She's very impressive, isn't she?'

'I love the library. How do you have so many books?'

'I'm sure after 900 years you'd have that many books too'. He turned to leave the room and I followed.

'Nine...hundred years? You can't be that old!'

'Timelord,' he said simply. 'Now, Paris!' We crossed the console room and left the TARDIS.

The ground was covered in frost. 'It's freezing! I didn't think Paris could get this cold!' I looked up. 'I didn't think Paris had a life-sized model of the Winter Palace either!' I turned on the Doctor. 'We're in St. Petersburg!'

'That can't be right. I set the co-ordinates for Paris...' The Doctor scratched his head in confusion.

'Doctor, I've been to Paris several times. I think I'd know if that's where we were! Why are we in St. Petersburg?'

'Let's go back to the TARDIS and I'll check the instruments. Everything appeared to be working as normal...' He trailed off as he re-entered the TARDIS. I followed him, resigned that I'd never get to Paris.

'Clearly, you're not as skilled at fixing the gyroscopic stabiliser as you thought!' I huffed.

'It does seem to be slightly off. Still, may as well explore now that we are here, hmm?'

'Fine. But if we don't get to Paris after this, I'm stealing your cravat and feeding it to the first thing I see. Which could well be you...'

'Now, there's no need for that. I didn't bring us here on purpose you know!' He kept a hand on his cravat whilst defending himself. I just stalked off out of the TARDIS, knowing that he would follow.

'What year is it?' I asked once he had caught me up.

'I don't know. Let's head towards the Winter Palace and find out'. He put his arm around my shoulders and we began walking towards the spectacular palace that I'd read so much about. There was a crowd gathering there but I supposed they were just tourists. 'You're shivering,' the Doctor stated. He glanced at me. 'And no wonder. Good grief, Rosaline, you could have covered up a bit more!' He took off his coat and put it round me.

It was true, I was wearing a a thin pair of tights underneath a dress that stopped just below my knees and a thin cardigan. 'I dressed for Paris!' I said angrily. 'Not Russian Winter'. His coat was warm and I managed to stop shivering. I looked at him. I'd never properly seen his outfit before since he always wore his coat. But now I could see that he had a white shirt on with red check on the cuffs. He had a red check waistcoat, too, and the stupid red cravat with white polka dots. 'But you'll freeze now!'

He squeezed my shoulders. 'Don't worry about me. Temperature doesn't affect me as it does you'.

'You look like you got into a fight with a rainbow and lost. And so do I now!'

'Charming. There's nothing wrong with my outfit. You on the other hand...' He looked me up and down. 'Hm'.

'Hm what? There's nothing wrong with what I was wearing!'

'Look, let's ask that man what the date is'. The Doctor had an annoying habit of changing the subject to suit him. 'Excuse me, would you mind telling us the exact date?' he asked once we had reached the man.

He looked at us strangely, taking in our strange attire. '9th January 1905, of course'.

'Oh, you've got to be kidding me!' I replied. He looked at me strangely but said nothing. I turned to the Doctor. 'Doctor, we can't stay here!'

'Now hang on one moment, Rosaline. If we leave now we'll miss history in the making!' He steered me away from the man and towards the Winter Palace again.

'We'll miss history? You're unbelievable! We'll miss the beginnings of one of the biggest slaughters this planet has ever seen!' We reached the crowd that surrounded the palace. Tourists, I had thought. 'Doctor,' I took a deep breath to steady myself. 'If we stay we'll see many of these people injured or killed. I can't watch that'. He crouched slightly so that he was at my height and put his forehead against mine.

'History books exaggerate you know'. He sighed. 'Alright, we'll go. I shouldn't have led us here'. We turned to walk back towards the TARDIS when I heard the first shot. I let out a whimper and moved closer to the Doctor who took my hand but carried on walking. Another shot. Then another. All of a sudden, the air was rife with shots and screams yet still the crowd marched.

Suddenly, I heard a bullet whiz past my ear as I went flying to the ground. The Doctor had shouted my name before he pushed me out the way. 'I think you just saved my life!' I gasped.

'Come on, back to the TARDIS! It isn't safe here!' He pulled me up and dragged me along with him. All around me I could hear gunshots and panic, even through my heavily beating heart.

'Doctor I can't bear it! Please can't we do something!' I cried in despair. He kept walking.

'I'm afraid not. This moment is fixed in time. If we try to change anything there could be disastrous effects for the whole universe!'

'We can't just walk away. We must be able to help them somehow!'

'Walk away we must, Rosaline. I like it just as much as you do but we have no choice'. We were nearing the TARDIS.

'What's the point in time travel if we can't prevent things from happening?' I exclaimed.

The Doctor stopped walking and looked at me sternly. 'You must understand, there are some things we simply cannot change! I _never _walk away if I can help it, but when time is fixed I have no choice. It's most certainly undesirable but there we go. You can either accept what I'm saying...' his tone darkened, 'or go home'.

'I just don't understand why we can't change it'. I said tearfully.

'Of course you don't. You're only human'.

'How do you know if time is fixed or not?'

'I'm a Timelord. We can sense these things'. He wiped away a tear that was trailing down my cheek. 'We're not always going to see pleasant things, you know. There is much evil in the universe and you'll find that more often than not we'll witness it. Can you handle that?'

I chewed on my lip in thought. I couldn't go back home now. We'd only just begun and memories of the monotony of normal life were still fresh. But could I handle seeing so much death and destruction first hand? With death comes life. Yes we'd see the evil of the universe but we'd also see the good. And surely that would make up for the bad? I looked up at the Doctor to see him watching me. I nodded. 'I can'. He gave me a comforting squeeze and went to continue walking but stopped mid-step when he heard a groan from right behind us. We both turned around to see a young man covered in blood stumbling towards us.

'Help...me...' he weakly asked us before collapsing to the ground.

I looked at the Doctor. 'Is there nothing we can do?'

The Doctor crouched down beside the man and checked his pulse and the area of bleeding. 'He's been shot. He won't make it, even with our help. A major artery has been severed. I blinked back tears and joined the Doctor on the ground next to the dying man.

'God...save the...the Tsar! Ha' The man forced out.

'What's your name?' I asked him taking his hand in mine.

'Alexei Mirov' His voice was getting weaker.

'I'll stay with you, Alexei. I promise' I whispered. I felt the Doctor put his arm around me, giving me the strength to stay.

'We... the people... we have failed'.

I glanced at the Doctor who knew what I was thinking and nodded. 'No you haven't,' I said. 'Because of today, imperial Russia will end and a golden age will come. In 100 years, Russia will be one of the most powerful countries in the world. And all because of today!' Alexei looked at me and smiled. Then his eyes glassed over and he had gone. My tears fell onto his face. The Doctor closed Alexei's eyes for the final time and stood up but I stayed where I was. He put his hands under my arms and lifted, forcing me to stand. I turned around and sobbed into him, not caring if he minded or not. He just held me silently, allowing me to shed my tears. Eventually, my tears subsided and I let go of the Doctor. He produced a handkerchief from his trouser pocket and dabbed my eyes before giving it to me. 'I've never seen somebody die before. I've never even seen a dead body,' I admitted.

'It won't get any easier,' was all he said before leading me back to the TARDIS.

'You said we couldn't change anything here but you were wrong. We stopped a man from dying alone and upset. We made all the difference to Alexei'.

'The smallest acts of kindness are often the most important,' He said solemnly. Then his demeanor changed and I knew that the subject was to be abandoned. 'Now then, let's finally get to Paris, shall we?'

I suddenly felt exhausted and realised that it must have been several hours since I had woken up to go to Paris. It felt like a lifetime ago. 'Doctor, can't I go to bed first? I'm exhausted!'

'You don't need my permission for that, my dear. You know where your room is'.

I started to make for the door but paused. 'Do you have a bedroom? I didn't see it when I was exploring earlier'.

'Well you wouldn't have. I'm hardly going to have my private quarters on display for anybody and everybody to see, am I? Goodnight Rosaline'.

'Rosie. Everybody calls me Rosie. You saved my life, I think you've earned that right now'.

'Goodnight Rosie,' he said smiling slightly as he bent over the console. I left to find my bedroom and wondered why he was so secretive about his own. After what seemed an eternity and a million wrong doors, I found my own room and collapsed onto the bed. I lay there thinking about Alexei with silent tears streaming down my face until I eventually fell into a fitful slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N – **Love it? Hate it? Please review, any thoughts/feedback would be appreciated! _

**Chapter 4: The Master Race**

I don't know how long I was asleep for but I woke up refreshed. I made no move to get up though, appreciating the alone time to get my thoughts in order. I'd just witnessed Bloody Sunday in pre-revolutionary Russia and before that I'd watched a meteor shower from the moon of a strange planet in a galaxy light-years away. Where would we go after Paris? And _when_? I thought about the Doctor. He truly was the strangest man I'd ever met. He was egotistical, stern, stubborn... and yet caring and somehow likeable. It was hard to describe. He was so extraordinary that where a normal man with his traits would be hated, you couldn't help but like the Doctor. I knew so little about him but I trusted him with my life. My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. I opened my eyes to find the Doctor hovering at the doorway with a tray of breakfast.

'I thought I'd bring you some breakfast. I don't want you getting angry at me for not feeding you,' he perched on the edge of my bed, looking slightly uncomfortable, and offered me the tray which I took.

'Thank you,' I replied, helping myself to a slice of toast. He did the same. 'Are we still in Russia?'

'No, we're in the time vortex. Less likely to be disturbed,' he said with his mouth full, ignoring my disapproving face. 'Next stop Paris, don't you worry'.

'For the sake of your cravat, I hope it is!' I glanced at his cravat. 'Oh, it's not the same one'.

'I took the precaution of changing it. I'm not quite sure where this one came from...' He twirled it around his finger thoughtfully.

'That's cheating!' He was now sporting a bright yellow cravat covered in coloured stars and a striped purple, pink, and green waistcoat. Not much of an improvement. 'Now get out so I can get dressed'. He took the empty tray from me and left without another word. I looked around in my suitcase for something to wear whilst remembering the cold of Russia. I was tempted to put on as many layers as possible but, knowing my luck, we'd end up in an Australian summer or something. I decided to risk it and dress for Parisian weather so I pulled on some tights and a floral skirt with a plain t-shirt. When I was ready I made my way to the console room, remembering the route this time. The Doctor was there waiting.

'Paris awaits,' he said, opening the doors and standing aside to let me exit first. I crossed my fingers and left.

I was greeted with fields and woods as far as the eye could see and an obvious lack of Chateau d'eau. At least the weather was pleasant enough.

'Par-oh,' the Doctor had noticed the location too. 'Ah, Sussex... almost...'

I rounded on him. 'Why are you so against Paris? If you didn't want to go you could have said! But why lie?' I grabbed his cravat and undid it before he could stop me.

'I am not against going to Paris. The TARDIS' navigational system is often off. She's only a type 40, she always gets muddled. Just give me the cravat!' He seemed flustered.

'I thought this cravat didn't mean anything to you?'

'I lied'. I waved it tantalisingly in front of him, keeping a firm grip. 'I'm warning you!' He said darkly as he edged towards me. I put it down my top knowing he'd never go there. He gave me a terrifying look and stalked off. I followed hurriedly. He was heading for a woods.

'Where are we going?' I asked, slightly breathless since I was keeping up a light jog to stay at his pace.

'To explore'. We entered the woods and were greeted by the sound of guns being loaded. I looked around to see several soldiers of sorts aiming guns at us. The Doctor put his arms up and I followed suit. 'We're civilians!' He told them.

'You're lying. This area is under UNIT control. No civilians can enter. What is your purpose here?'

'Ah. We were exploring. We mean no harm'.

'You will come with us to headquarters'. The soldiers surrounded us and we were given a personal guard each.

'Fine, but you'll be left red-faced. Now, please lower your weapons!' the Doctor commanded with an air of authority. I was astonished to see that they obliged. We walked in silence to headquarters. Every so often, my guard would nudge me to move faster. We eventually made it to a clearly makeshift headquarters comprising of military tents of various size. We were taken to an empty one and left with our two guards.

I turned to the Doctor. 'Here we go again. You really have a knack for getting into trouble don't you!'

'Me? He exclaimed, incredulous. 'I would have gone back into the TARDIS if you hadn't stolen my cravat!'

'Well I wouldn't have stolen it if you'd taken us to Paris! Now what's going to happen to us?'

'Oh it's just a misunderstanding. We'll be on our way soon enough'.

'I'm not so convinced. This looks serious. What is UNIT anyway? I've never heard of them before'. Before the Doctor could answer we were interrupted by a man of higher rank entering the tent.

'Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart!' The Doctor beamed, holding out his hand.

'Is that you, Doctor? I suppose it must be. Who else would dress like that?' The Brigadier looked disapprovingly at the Doctor's attire but shook his hand nonetheless.

'Excuse me!' The Doctor said in irritation.

'So you've regenerated again, I see. Well I can't say that I'm not glad to see you. There's been some funny things going on around here. I'd appreciate your help on the matter'.

'What sort of things? I had wondered why we were ambushed in the woods'.

'Yes, well, sorry about that Doctor but we can't be too careful,' he turned to the guards, 'You two are dismissed'. They left with a salute and the Brigadier led us to another tent which I assumed was his office. 'Have a seat, I don't believe I've been introduced to your companion,'

I sat down and said, 'Rosaline. Rosaline Butler'. The Doctor remained standing.

'It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure' the Brigadier replied.

'When was the last time you saw me, Brigadier?' the Doctor asked.

'In London with the Zygons. That was two years ago, I'd begun to think that we wouldn't see you again'.

'Two years? It's been a lot longer for me. It seems a lifetime since I left Sarah. Well it has been...'

'Yes, I've read some of her articles. She's always meddling in things that don't concern her. I suppose she learnt that from you,' the Brigadier tried to give the Doctor a stern look but couldn't repress a small smile. 'Excuse me, would you' He said as the phone began to ring. 'Lethbridge-Stewart...yes...I understand... I'll do so...Goodbye. We believe we are up against something extraterrestrial, Doctor. There have been many reports of disappearances. People throughout the town are vanishing without a trace. We've cordoned off Battle and the surrounding area in a 5 mile radius. That is why you saw my men in the woods. But still the disappearances are happening right under our noses'.

'Are there any connections?' the Doctor asked.

'Well, yes actually. Every single person to disappear was in their twenties. 20-29. And only those with clean bills of health have gone missing'.

'I see. How long has this gone on for?'

'The first disappearance was reported three months ago. We hear of six disappearances a day. Three males and three females'.

'Every day?'

'Without fail, Doctor'.

'Extraordinary. This is no coincidence. Somebody or something is taking these people for a purpose and I think we should find out why. Brigadier, bring me a list of the missing and we shall go to Battle to investigate'.

'Very well Doctor'. He left the office and we remained.

'Care to explain?' I asked, not hopeful for a clear answer.

'Explain? I don't know myself yet! That is why we must investigate, my dear'.

'Not the disappearances, Doctor, how you know this man. And who is Sarah?'

'Oh. That. I used to work as UNIT's scientific advisor many years ago. Sarah Jane Smith helped with the investigations then came with me when I left UNIT. I wonder what anything would want with these people. Very peculiar indeed...'

The Brigadier entered again with a large file. 'A list of every missing person and their details'.

'Ah, excellent. Let's go'. The Doctor took the file and walked out of the tent, turning left.

'Other way, Doctor!' the Brigadier called. We saw the Doctor swiftly change direction. 'I have a surprise for you, too'.

'Surprise? What is it?' the Doctor had his head in the file already several pages in.

'Look to your right'.

The Doctor did as he was told and exclaimed, 'Bessie!'

'We always bring her with us, just incase you should decide to turn up'.

'Fantastic! Hello, old girl, have you missed me?' The Doctor hurried off and I looked to see who Bessie was. I was surprised to see him climb into a bright yellow Edwardian roadster. He beeped the horn. 'Well come on then, we haven't got all day!'

'You know how I feel about that vehicle, Doctor. I'll find my own transportation, thank you'. The Brigadier walked off and I hesitantly sat next to the Doctor.

'Is it safe?' I asked tentatively.

'There's nothing safer! I never thought I'd see her again,' the Doctor chuckled. His spirits had clearly been lifted. He began to drive and I held on tight. 'She still recognises me then!'

His words reminded me of the first thing the Brigadier had said. 'What did the Brigadier mean when he said you'd regenerated again?' I remembered on Peladon when he said he could change his appearance but I hadn't actually believed him. Had he been telling the truth then?

'Later, later. I need you to carry on reading that file for me. Let me know if you see anything worth mentioning, any other connections between the victims'.

I did as he requested. As the Brigadier had said, all of them were in their twenties with clean health. None of them smoked, none had ever been admitted to hospital. Apart from that, I couldn't see any other connections. None were related, they came from varied backgrounds, had different blood types. All of a sudden, Bessie jolted forward and carried on at great speed, causing me to scream. 'What are you doing?' I asked, shrilly.

'Mimimum inertia hyperdrive, my dear. I'd forgotten about this modification for a moment'.

'Please slow down, I don't want to die!'

The Doctor glanced at me and a wicked glint came to his eye. 'Not unless you return my cravat'.

'Doctor, please! We'll crash!'

'Cravat. Now'.

I retrieved it from under my top and held it out to him. 'There. Now slow down!' He ignored me and carried on speeding. I was clinging on so tight my knuckles were white. All of a sudden he braked and I winced, expecting to fly through the windscreen. But there was no impact.

The Doctor was watching me with a smile. 'Minimum inertia, Rosie'.

'That was so cruel, you monster!' I shoved him lightly.

'Revenge is a dish best served cold. Remember that'. He saw the anger and plotting in my eyes and quickly said, 'And remember that we are, of course, even'. He smiled, got out, and walked around to my side, offering me his hand to help me out.

'Being nice now won't save you,' I said taking his hand anyway.

'You're looking very pale,' the Brigadier noted, reaching us.

'You could have warned me about that stupid car!' I replied angrily.

'Now hold on right there! Bessie is _not _stupid!' The Doctor defended childishly.

'Let's just go investigate,' I said, dragging the Doctor towards the town.

'I agree with Ms Butler. The sooner we know what is going on around here and stop it, the better'.

We walked into the town and the Doctor suggested that we split up to talk to the families of the missing. We each took a few pages from the files and followed the addresses given. I wasn't keen on going off by myself but didn't want the Doctor to think that I was weak and regret asking me to travel with him.

I went to five different families, asking about the disappearances. They all had the same story: the missing person had been acting strangely on the day prior to the disappearance. Almost like they were in a trance. Then they had gone to bed as normal but not returned again. I looked in the rooms' of the missing and found nothing unusual. There didn't appear to be any signs of a struggle. The beds were all unmade as though the victim had simply gotten up and walked off.

'We're doing everything in our power to find them and bring them back to you,' I promised weakly. All I'd discovered is that they vanished at night. That wasn't much to go on. Unless... I ran to our pre-arranged meeting point: a quaint, old fashioned pub named Ye Old Kings Head. Apart from the Doctor, it was unnaturally deserted. I had gotten the impression from the people I had spoken to that everyone was too scared to leave their homes and the pub seemed to confirm this.

'Any findings?' the Doctor asked as soon as I sat down.

'Probably about the same as you,' I replied.

'This is a conundrum. I got you a lemonade,' He gestured to the glass next to his untouched one.

'Thank you,' I took a sip of the refreshing home-made beverage. 'Did you come to the conclusion that everybody had been taken at night, too?' I asked.

'Naturally. But that's all I could conclude,' He sighed. 'It's very frustrating!'

'I had an idea...'

'What?'

'I'm 24... I've never smoked...never been admitted to hospital...'

The Doctor looked at me for a moment. 'No.' he said firmly. 'Absolutely not'.

'Why not? It's the only way to find out what's going on!'

The Doctor moved his face close to my own. 'We have no idea what we're up against here, Rosaline. We don't even know if these people are still alive. I won't let you walk to your death!' I noted his use of my proper name and realised that I might have a job convincing him.

'Oh come on, we both know they're still alive. Why take such a specific group just to kill them?'

'Even so, I won't let you go!'

'Good thing I don't need your permission then'. The Doctor looked furious but knew he couldn't physically stop me.

'Nothing,' the Brigadier had joined us. 'Absolutely no help whatsoever. I'm at loss as to what to do, Doctor. Any suggestions?'

'No,' the Doctor lied.

'Yes, actually,' I interjected. 'I can stay here until I'm taken then let you know where I've been taken and what's happening. It's the only way to find out'.

'If you're willing, it's the best option we have,'

'There has to be another way!' the Doctor said. He knew as well as I that this was the only option we had and we had no time to waste. 'Fine. Fine! But you're to constantly stay in contact with us, understood?'

'Well obviously! I'm not very keen on a vanishing act. I've got my mobile on me, I can stay on the line to the phone in the Brigadier's office'. The Doctor still looked unhappy but didn't argue further.

After planning at length, the Brigadier returned to his makeshift headquarters and the Doctor and I remained in the pub for dinner. It was a quaint, lovely pub but the lack of customers made it slightly eerie. I tried to make conversation with the Doctor but he wasn't in the mood for conversing. I'd annoyed him with my 'stubborn desire to play the hero'. After that I had no desire to talk to him either so we ate in silence.

'I suppose we'd better find you somewhere to stay'. The Doctor got up and walked over to the bar to inquire for rooms for the night. He returned shortly. 'There's an inn just down the road, come on'.

'Doctor, stop it. Can't we just be friends?' His frostiness was really starting to upset me.

He sighed and put his arm around me. 'I can't bear the thought of losing you,' he admitted.

'You won't,' I promised. 'We still have Paris to get to!' He smiled and led me out of the pub to find the inn. I put my arm around his waist and I could tell as we walked together that his mood had improved. It was only a short walk to the inn and when we got there the receptionist barely seemed to notice us. 'I'd like a room for tonight please. Do you have any spare?'

'Two rooms actually. I want to stay too,' the Doctor added.

'Two rooms just for tonight?' The receptionist asked flatly.

'Perhaps longer, we'll see how it goes,' the Doctor replied. She handed us our keys and we left to find our rooms.

'Why are you staying too? I thought you were going to go back to headquarters?' I asked.

'Well it occurred to me that it would be far more useful for me to stay here. Did that receptionist seem to be acting strangely to you? If I'm here I can keep an eye on you from a distance and perhaps follow'.

'Don't get yourself into trouble!' I reproached. 'I might need saving. She just seemed like a bored receptionist, I thought. Oh here's our rooms'. I opened my door and was pleasantly surprised. The room was fairly small but with character. The leaded windows immediately stood out to me. I checked out the en suite and wasn't disappointed there either. The room would do nicely until I was kidnapped. The Doctor's room was opposite my own and fairly similar. I sat on his bed. 'So now we wait, I guess'.

'Indeed'. He took off his shoes and dropped himself on the bed heavily. It was odd seeing him behave like a normal man. I took my shoes off and lay next to him, on my side.

'Do you think this will actually work? What if it only takes residents of Battle and isn't interested in anybody else?'

'Are you suggesting that there is a xenophobic alien at work?' We both laughed. 'I think whatever is taking these people is scanning them first to make sure they fit the criteria. When they scan you and see that you're not from this time zone they will be sure to take you to investigate'.

'Oh good, they might dissect me'. The Doctor tutted and put his arm around me pulling me towards his chest.

'That's not very amusing. You know, you don't have to do this. There's still time to back out'.

'Don't start this again. I do have to do this. I _want _to do this. I'm not scared'. I twirled his neatly retied yellow cravat around my finger. 'Who gave you this one? Charles II?'

I felt the Doctor stiffen beside me but he said lightly, 'A friend'.

'What happened to them?'

'She left. It's not important. Shall we see what's on this television?' I inwardly rolled my eyes at his typical change of conversation and turned on the television. We watched several reruns of 'The Good Life' until I began drifting off. I woke up to the Doctor carrying me to my room and putting me in bed but kept my eyes shut. I heard him sigh. 'Good luck, Rosie. Do try not to get harmed'. I felt him wrap something around my wrist. When I heard the door shut I opened my eyes and looked. It was his yellow cravat.

I woke up disorientated to the sun shining on my face. It was morning. I looked around: I was still in my bedroom in the inn! There was a knock on my door and the Doctor walked in.

'Yes, I thought as much. Still, I can't say that I'm disappointed,' he admitted. 'Perhaps we should think of a contingency plan?'

'No, I just need more time. It was ambitious to think I'd be taken on my first night. We'll just have to stay a bit longer, that's all'. So that's what we did. The Doctor spent the days questioning the town further and investigating with the Brigadier whilst I kept a low profile, staying in the inn. It was almost unbearably dull but I didn't complain. I wanted them to see that I was capable of helping and not just a burden, tagging along with them. I kept the cravat on my person constantly. The Doctor had said on the first morning that I should keep it as a lucky charm. 'Everybody needs a lucky charm,' he had said whilst absent-mindedly stroking the cat badge on his lapel. 'But don't lose it!'. I didn't need telling twice; I could tell by his face that being locked in a room with Aggedor would be a more preferable scenario. In the evening, the Doctor would come back to the inn and we'd have dinner together and stay together talking, reading, or watching television until it was time to go to bed.

I was taken on my fourth night. I remember a pocket watch, not unlike the Doctor's, swinging from a gloved hand. Then there was the urge to get out of bed and stand next to the creature that was holding the watch. The next thing I knew, I was no longer in my bedroom. Then I blacked out.

I woke up in what appeared to be a massive underground hall. I presumed that I was still somewhere in Battle but I had no idea where. In all the investigations, no mention of an underground area ever arose. I was shackled to a wall and I was not alone. There were hundreds of people around me. Only five others were shackled. They must have been taken at the same time as me whilst the others were the remaining victims. At least I could see that they were all alive. Not one of them was moving, however, and it was definitely not natural. They were all standing in lines; like soldiers waiting for instruction. A door opened on creaky hinges the other side of the room to me and I heard footsteps coming closer. Two shrouded beings walked slowly but purposefully towards me. My heart was racing but I refused to show any fear.

'This one,' one of them whispered in a hoarse sounding voice. The other freed me from my shackles and they took one of my arms each, dragging me back to the door with them. I was taken down a long, dark corridor that was lit by the occasional torch. Presently, we reached another creaky door. It was clear to me that wherever I was, it was ancient and had been unused for a long, long time. The creatures pushed me unceremoniously into the room causing me to fall to the floor. I looked up and, when I saw the only other occupant, gasped.

'What a delightful surprise,' he said, offering me a hand to help me off of the floor. I accepted reluctantly, never taking my eyes off of him. 'I'm afraid we haven't formally be introduced. I am the Master'.

'I know who you are,' I spat. 'How did you get off Peladon?'

'With some difficulty with which I have yourself and the Doctor to thank. You are Rosaline, I know, but Rosaline who?'

'Butler'.

'The Doctor's latest companion, I presume. Not quite as full of fight as Miss Brown but I suppose he must have seen something in you. He has a soft spot for humans, you know. I've never quite understood it myself; you really are such a primitive species'

'What are you doing with all these people if you dislike humans so much?' I asked, ignoring his last remarks.

The Master chuckled. 'My dear girl, I don't dislike humans, I think they are a fascinating species. Primitive species are so easily bent to one's will. They will serve my purpose splendidly'.

'And what exactly is your purpose?'

He laughed again. 'Do you really expect me to tell you that? I must say, I wasn't lying when I said it was a surprise seeing you. My Shadows told me that they had found an outlier but I assumed they had made a mistake'. He studied me. 'I suppose the Doctor has been investigating the disappearances?'

'Naturally. And he'll find you and foil your plan again so don't get too comfortable!'

'I doubt it. The Doctor is always, er, rather slow on the uptake. He won't find us, my dear'. I tried to subtly put my hand in my pocket to press the dial button on my mobile. 'My Shadows took the precaution of relieving you of your communications device, before you get any clever ideas'. The Master took my phone out of his pocket and showed it to me. 'You'll have to do better than that, Miss Butler'.

'The Doctor _will _find you!' I threatened.

The Master took a step towards me. 'You would have let me die on Peladon,' he said softly. I said nothing. 'On that basis alone, you and I are similar'. He took another step towards me.

'I am _nothing _like you!'

He took another step towards me so that we were now inches from each other. 'Everybody has a darker side, my dear. The difference between us is that I don't pretend it isn't there'. He reached out his hand and lightly pushed a misplaced strand of hair off of my face. I recoiled. 'You are the most beautiful of his companions that I have seen,' he said softly. 'At least his taste improves with age'. I scowled. 'But I suppose he hasn't mentioned the others? The Doctor reveals little to anybody. He likes to make his women believe they are special. The only one important to him. I suppose for a while they are... until he bores of them. Then he leaves them somewhere, if they are lucky, and moves on to find somebody else. Then it begins again. I do hope he is kind when he tires of you. It would be a great waste otherwise'.

'I am _not _"his woman" and your poison words won't work on me!' I lied, desperately trying to hide the hurt. Jo, Sarah Jane, Miss Brown... it seemed that the Doctor really did leave a trail of women behind him. Was I just his toy to keep him amused as he travelled the universe? What would happen to me if he found someone prettier, smarter, more compliant than me?

'The Doctor has proven time and time again that his entourage are easily replaced. If you join me, Miss Butler, I wouldn't dream of such a thing. I would never waste such a being as yourself. I, too, have a TARDIS. Come with me and everything you ever desired would be yours as soon as you asked'. His face was close to mine, eyes piercing my own. I exhaled, not realising that I had been holding my breath. My mind was beginning to fog over. 'Join me'. His tone indicated that I had a choice but I could hear the commanding undertone. I was finding it increasingly hard to think. 'You deserve the universe and only I can provide it'. I felt my head nod but couldn't remember making it do so. His eyes were so distracting. All I could think about was his deep, brown eyes. He put a hand under my chin and before I could comprehend the situation, he was kissing me. This was what I wanted, wasn't it? I made no move to break away, not even when I heard the door open with a bang.

The Master slowly pulled away. 'Remember, he is the enemy,' he murmured, 'he must be eliminated'. I looked around to find the intruder, my mind still foggy. My eyes found him. Curly blonde hair, ridiculous, bright-coloured clothes. He looked familiar but I couldn't quite place him. All I knew was that the strong sense of hatred I felt was for him. The Master put his arm around me. 'Well, Doctor, you found me. But it is too late. Miss Butler and I were just leaving'.

'Rosie?' The man called the Doctor was looking at me with hurt and confusion in his eyes but I couldn't understand why.

'You're too late.' I found myself saying. 'You have failed, Doctor'.

'What have you done to Rosaline?' He asked the Master angrily. His words confused me.

'I have done nothing, Doctor, she has simply realised who the enemy is. Now, I have other plans for you'. He snapped his fingers and two Shadows appeared, dragging the Doctor out of the room. 'Put him in the cell,' the Master commanded them. I watched with little interest as the Doctor called out for me to help him. The Master laughed cruelly then kissed me once more. 'Now, my dear, to attend to my puppets. Come'. He led me from the room and back into the great hall. 'You there,' he called to the nearest person, 'what is your aim?'

'To serve the Master,' he replied flatly.

'And you?' The Master asked another.

'To serve the Master'.

'Excellent'. The Master turned to me. 'What is your greatest desire?'

'To see the Doctor dead and to rule the universe by your side,' I found myself saying. The words seemed to come naturally from my mouth without my even needing to think.

'If that is your wish, my dear, I shall see it done'. He snapped his fingers again and a Shadow appeared. 'Prepare the craft. Soon we shall be ready to leave'.

'What are those things?' I asked, brain still full of fog.

'They are my servants, my dear. Shadows from the planet Umbralon'. He pulled off the Shadow's glove to reveal a rather noticeable absence of hand. 'Shadows have no form. Most useful for when discreteness is of paramount importance. Will you excuse me a moment?' He exited, leaving me alone with his "puppets". I looked around. They were all expressionless and still as statues like they had been when I had first seen them. I clapped in a woman's face and she made no movement whatsoever. The Master returned and put his arm around my waist. 'Soon, my dear, we will be off to conquer Xenolyn with my new army. This is the beginning of my new empire held together by my Master Race!' He laughed in a malevolent manner then looked at me. 'You should wear your hair loose,' he commented, untying my hair and handing me the ribbon. But it wasn't a ribbon. It was a yellow cravat. The Doctor's cravat... I remembered. The Master was going to kill the Doctor! 'What's the matter?' The Master asked watching my face.

'I'm worried about leaving for Xenolyn,' I lied convincingly.

'You have nothing to fear, my dear, I won't allow any harm to come to you'. He kissed my forehead. 'Come. Let us see the Doctor one last time before we leave'. He was watching me carefully so I kept my face blank of emotion. He led me to the Doctor's cell. 'My dear fellow, we wish to say our final goodbyes to you. As I've said before, you are a worthy opponent and I really will miss you'.

'You're too kind.' the Doctor replied. His hands were tied behind his back but he was free to move around. I racked my brains for a way to save the Doctor. There was nothing in the room to help and the Doctor did not know that I was no longer under the Master's spell. How could I let him know without alerting the Master? I then realised that I was still holding the cravat and dropped it. I stooped to pick it up and subtly winked at the Doctor as I did so. He inclined his head.

'When will he die?' I asked the Master. 'I want to see Xenolyn!'

He smiled. 'Soon, my dear, soon'.

'I want to see him suffer,' I said, closing the gap between us. 'Then rule the universe by your side'. He took the bait and put his arms around my waist. I raised my head and met his lips with my own, hating myself for doing it. All of a sudden, he pulled away from me and grabbed the Doctor – who was seconds from striking the Master – by his neck.

'Do you think I'm a fool?' He demanded of me. He chuckled darkly. 'You're a good actress, my dear, but not that good'. He released the Doctor and slapped me hard across the face.

'I'm warning you, Master, lay one more finger on her and I'll...'

'You'll what, Doctor? Kill me? Ha! That's hardly your style'. He grabbed me so that I was in front of him, facing the Doctor, and put a knife to my throat. 'Besides, you'll have to get through Miss Butler first...' He pressed the knife and I could feel it tearing my skin. The Doctor looked horrified.

'Stop!' He shouted. 'Leave the girl out of it. Let's just settle this between the two of us!'

'My dear Doctor,' he laughed, 'where would the fun be in that?'

I elbowed the Master in the stomach as hard as I could and he stepped away from me, gasping for breath. I ran to the Doctor who stepped in front of me, shielding me.

'Oh, very well, Doctor. You win. I'll be off now. He ran out of the room and the Doctor followed in hot pursuit. I stayed a moment, touching a hand to my neck. My fingertips were stained with blood when I took them away. I took a deep breath to steady myself and tied the Doctor's cravat around my neck to staunch the flow of blood. I then left the cell and found myself heading towards the huge hall. When I got there I was filled with dread. It was empty. I felt a hand on my shoulder and screamed as I whipped round to face what I thought was going to be the Master.

'Stop doing that!' I shouted, punching the Doctor.

'There's no time to spare, we must get back to the TARDIS immediately and follow the Master! Where did you say he'd gone to?' the Doctor asked whilst grabbing me and running out of the underground area.

'Er, Xenolyn. He's taking the victims to Xenolyn to conquer it!' When we emerged from the depths, I saw that we had been underneath the Abbey. I had been right about still being in Battle then. Surprisingly, the TARDIS was waiting outside and the Doctor ushered me inside and set the co-ordinates for Xenolyn.

'We simply must get those poor people back to Earth before he gets them all killed!'

'What is Xenolyn?' I asked. 'Surely the Master wouldn't try to conquer a planet if he wasn't sure of success'.

'I don't doubt that he would find success on Xenolyn. It's a very small planet that would be easily conquered but he will still incur loss of life'.

'How on Earth are we going to stop him?' I asked in despair.

'Don't you mean "how on Xenolyn?"' the Doctor offered me a small smile which I returned. 'I suppose we'll just have to... improvise'.

'That sounds promising. Why was the TARDIS outside the Abbey?'

'Never mind that now; we're here!' the Doctor grabbed me and made for the doors but stopped just before reaching them. He turned to me and said, 'Er, I think perhaps it would be better if you stayed here. This could be very dangerous'. I didn't answer, instead I stepped around him and left the TARDIS. 'Or you could come with me...' the Doctor finished weakly.

I wasn't sure where I was going. We had materialised in a small office in what looked like a warehouse and I had exited and turned left along a corridor. 'How do we know we're even in the right building?' I called behind me to the Doctor.

'You might have a little faith in the TARDIS!' He replied. I carried on down the corridor at a half-run, not sure what exactly to look out for. 'In here!' The Doctor shouted. I spun around to see him gesturing at a door. He held it open for me to enter first and I did so apprehensively. I relaxed slightly when I saw that we were in a massive storeroom which was currently being used to store the missing humans. I walked up to the nearest one.

'What is your aim?' I asked her. She didn't reply. I tried with another to the same result. 'Doctor, I've got an idea...' I began.

'I don't think so. That last idea of yours didn't work out so well'.

'Doctor!' I huffed. 'The Master has obviously hypnotised all these people into doing his will. Suppose you could make them listen to you instead?'

'That's a tough ask. I can't even get _you _to listen to me!' His smile faltered when he saw my face. 'Well, yes, it's entirely possible. I'll need time though. There's too many here to hypnotise at once. Keep a lookout so I can work undisturbed'.

'We probably don't have much time, do hurry!' I implored as I walked to the door to watch and listen for any sign of the Master or his Shadows. I could hear the Doctor muttering just out of my earshot. 'The Master is coming!' I exclaimed after about ten minutes.

'Quickly, behind the door!' He grabbed me and pulled me behind the door so that the Master wouldn't be able to see us as soon as he opened it.

'Soon we go to war, my friends!' The Master said once he had entered the room. 'Follow me'. They didn't move. 'I said follow me!' He commanded louder. Still nothing happened. 'What is the meaning of this?' He seemed to ask himself.

The Doctor stepped forward and turned to the Master. 'I'm so sorry, old chap, you'll find that they no longer take commands from you'.

'Doctor, what a delightful surprise, as always,' the Master replied. 'Your interference is most unwelcome, however'. He snapped his fingers and a Shadow appeared. 'Dispose of him!'

The Shadow grabbed the Doctor by the throat, strangling him. 'Stop it!' I yelled to the Master. 'You can't kill him!'

'Perhaps not, Miss Butler, but the Shadow can!'

In my despair I unthinkingly ran to one of the Master's former "puppets" and shouted, 'Save the Doctor!' Incredibly, he marched towards the Shadow and – with the strength that I wouldn't have expected from this small, skinny man – threw the Shadow off of the Doctor. The Shadow vanished.

'So you've programmed them to follow Miss Butler's orders, Doctor? How very... you'.

'They aren't just machines to be programmed. They are sentient beings who should have free will!' The Doctor retorted whilst massaging his neck.

'Capture the Master,' I whispered to the nearest human to me. She took the Master by both hands and held him steady. I walked up to him and slapped him. He barely flinched. 'You made me kiss you,' I stated bluntly.

'Believe me, I took no pleasure in it,' he replied.

I forced myself not to slap him again and turned to the Doctor. 'What should we do with him?' I asked.

He sighed. 'I honestly don't know. What would you suggest?' He asked the Master.

The Master laughed mirthlessly. 'I would suggest that you joined me, Doctor. Think of it: the whole universe divided between us two. Ultimate power, Doctor!'

'I have no desire for ultimate power. I suppose I ought to take you back to Gallifrey. The High Council can decide your fate'.

'No, Doctor, I'm begging you! Don't take me back there! You can take the humans back to Earth and we can forget this ever happened!'

'I've given you far too many chances in the past. I know you'll think of another grand scheme and we'll be in the same position again and again. It's time for you to face the consequences of your actions. I'm sorry,' the Doctor replied. 'You,' he turned to me, 'wait here. No wandering off under any circumstances, understood?'

'You're leaving me here?'

'I'll come and get you after I've returned from Gallifrey. I don't want you going there'.

'Why?' I asked, annoyed.

'Not now, Rosie! Just do as I say. Please!'

'Fine'. The Doctor nodded then went to the Master and bound his hands with his cravat. I wondered if he wore one purely for practical uses.

'Tell this woman to release him please'.

I did as he said and he left with the Master. I stayed in the room as I had been told and found myself wondering if the people here would remember any of this. And if they didn't, how would their disappearances be explained to their families? I started when the door opened but it was only the Doctor. 'That was quick,' I remarked.

'Time machine,' was all the reply I got. I rolled my eyes.

'How are we going to get all of these people back to Earth?' I asked.

'Ask them to return home,' he replied. 'And tell them that once they get there they should forget everything that has happened and wake up'. I was sceptical but did what he said. They exited the room in an orderly fashion and then I was alone with the Doctor. 'Perhaps we should leave too,' he suggested. 'The Brigadier will have plenty of questions I'd imagine. Come along'. He put his arm around me and led me back to the TARDIS. Once we were inside I remembered something.

'You never told me why the TARDIS was outside the Abbey,' I said once he had finished playing with the console. 'Or how you even found me!'

'A Shadow took you from your bedroom and teleported you to the Abbey. I discovered some residual powder which the TARDIS was able to use to pinpoint your location.' He looked up at me. 'Are you alright?'

'Fine,' I lied. 'I'm just going to freshen up quickly'. I hurried to my bedroom and groaned when I looked in the mirror. I looked a state: my clothes were covered in dirt and blood, my hair was a mess, I had a bruised cheek from when the Master had slapped me, and blood had seeped through the Doctor's cravat around my neck. I gingerly took it off. My neck was no longer bleeding to my great relief but there was an obvious cut there. I sighed and went into my bathroom for a quick wash. I changed clothes and found a neck scarf in my suitcase which I used to cover my cut neck. I returned to the console room to find the Doctor seemingly lost in his thoughts. He snapped out of it and looked me over when I stood next to him.

'You look a bit better,' he commented. He stroked my bruised cheek. 'Does it hurt?'

'No, it's fine,' I replied. I held out his yellow cravat. 'I'm sorry, I used it to staunch the blood in my neck. I'll wash it...'

He took the cravat then took off my neck scarf and traced the cut lightly with a finger. It gave me goosebumps. 'I didn't realise that he'd broken the skin,' he said softly. 'I led you into danger...'

'I led myself into danger. It isn't your fault,' I replied. 'It'll heal'.

He looked me deep in the eye as though he were looking into my soul. I was holding my breath without even realising. 'Off to see the Brigadier then!' He took my hand and pulled me out of the TARDIS. We had materialised in the middle of UNIT's temporary HQ and were greeted, once more, by several guns. I sighed.

'Stand down!' the Brigadier commanded, striding out of his tent. 'Doctor! Miss Butler!' He shook both of our hands. 'I think we'd better go inside'. He led us into his office and invited us to sit. 'My men have reported that all the missing civilians have returned to their homes'.

'Excellent!' the Doctor beamed. 'What did I say, Rosie? Have faith!'

'But how?' I asked.

'That's something I'd like to know too,' the Brigadier replied.

'Isn't it obvious?' the Doctor asked. 'They returned the same way they left'.

The Brigadier looked confused but I suddenly understood. 'The Master took them to Xenolyn on a spacecraft!' I exclaimed.

'To _where_? Did you say the Master?' The Brigadier looked flustered.

'The Master took those people to be his soldiers in his attempt to control the universe. It's over now. I took him back to Gallifrey where he shall be incarcerated for the foreseeable future. We'll be off now then,' the Doctor said to the baffled Brigadier.

'Now hang on one moment, Doctor. You don't expect me to go through all the paperwork alone?' He saw the Doctor's face and rolled his eyes disapprovingly. 'Well what do you expect me to tell the civilians? I can't exactly tell them it was alien abduction!'

'I'm sure you'll think of something,' the Doctor said, rising from his seat. 'Oh, one last thing'.

'What is it?' The Brigadier asked in exasperation.

'The next time you see me I'll look different. Blonde chap with cricket gear on. Be sure not to mention any of this to him! I do hope you see me before then though. Cheerio'.

'You really are an extraordinary fellow, Doctor. Take care. And you, Miss Butler'. He shook our hands one last time and we left.

'I've always had a fondness for the Brigadier,' the Doctor told me when we were back in the TARDIS.

'He was likeable enough. Can we _please _go to Paris now? I think I deserve it!'

The Doctor chuckled and put his arm around me. 'I have a better idea. I think you deserve a nice, relaxing holiday first. I promise we'll go to Paris afterwards, okay?'

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 'I can't even be bothered to argue. Do what you want; I'm going to bed'. He smiled softly and pushed me lightly towards the door. Once in bed, I pondered on the various places we might be going to next. I didn't think the Doctor's idea of relaxing would match mine somehow.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – **Thank you for the lovely reviews! Haven't been sure about this since I hate writing dialogue but your reviews reassure me! Sorry for the wait but I hope the length makes up for it. P.S: Check out my 6th Doctor one shot :)

**Chapter 5: Murder on the Orion Express**

I woke up to a knock on the door. 'Mmm,' I groaned groggily. I opened my eyes partially to see the Doctor enter.

'Wake up, we have places to be!' he said jumping on my bed and sitting on my legs.

'Get off before I hurt you,' I croaked. He got off my legs but stayed on the bed.

'I see you're not a morning person,' he stated far too cheerfully.

'I see you are.' I yawned and stretched before sitting up. 'What's the time anyway?' I habitually reached under my pillow for my mobile to check the time then sadly remembered that the Master had taken it. Besides, I thought, it wouldn't know the time anyway. We probably weren't even on Earth.

The Doctor smiled, pulled something out of his pocket, and threw it at me. My phone landed on my lap. 'I hope you don't mind but I've improved it somewhat,' he said cockily.

'What do you mean? How did you even get this?' I asked suspiciously.

'I took it from the Master. I've fixed it so you can call anywhere in the universe from anywhere in the universe. And it'll automatically find the date and time of where we are.' He smiled smugly and I restrained myself from scowling.

'Thank you.' I looked at my phone and saw that we were actually were on Earth. Apparently, it was 17th January 2156 and it was 9am. 'What's so special about 17th January 2156?' I asked.

'It's the maiden voyage of the Orion Express.' The Doctor noted my blank expression. 'Earth's first interstellar cruise liner. I thought we might take a cruise amongst the stars. What do you think?'

'You mean that just 150 years after my time, humans are taking holidays around the galaxy?' I was astounded.

'Yes.' The Doctor clearly didn't share my excitement at that fact.

'Let's go then!'

The Doctor playfully put his hands around my neck. 'That's why I came in here! Pack a bag, it isn't a day trip. Oh, I should probably show you the wardrobe, come along'. He pulled me out of bed and took me down a few hallways and into the biggest understatement I had ever encountered. Wardrobe? It was a very large room which held an insane amount of clothes. There were coats, shoes, dresses, suits, and pretty much every other item of clothing one could possibly think of. 'You know how it is,' the Doctor said, seeing my face, 'you go somewhere, see something you like, the next thing you know you're jettisoning the cinema to make room for all of it'. I just laughed and walked off to explore the masses of clothes. 'Help yourself. And don't take too long about it, boarding is at 11am.' He walked off.

I wandered around the room trying to find suitable clothes. There were a lot of odd costumes: feather boas, a knight's helmet, an awful glittery, pink costume with far too many frills, a Viking's outfit... it all worked well at emphasising his madness. I found some normal clothes that would suit me, dresses and shorts mainly, and dressed in there. I'd found a few evening dresses too and hoped there would be somewhere to wear them. I also grabbed a few suits and tailcoats in the hope of getting the Doctor to forego his normal, tasteless garb. I turned towards the door to leave when I saw the most incredible scarf. It was striped red, yellow, beige, blue, burgundy, and was so long. For some reason I was just drawn to it. It was January, after all, I might need a scarf. Plus it would hide the cut on my neck. I wrapped it around my neck and looked in a mirror. It was ridiculously long but I liked it that way. I was wearing a plain black dress that stopped just before my knees and black suede ankle boots. I'd put my long, chocolate-brown hair into a bun whilst remembering that the Master had told me to wear it loose. I gently stroked my cheek which was still slightly bruised. I went back to my room to pack my new clothes and then went in search of the Doctor. Unsurprisingly, I found him in the console room. When he saw me he laughed.

'What are you laughing at?' I asked, slightly annoyed.

He came towards me and picked up an end of the scarf. 'You obviously have good taste. I used to wear this a long time ago. I must say, it looks much better on you.' He smiled then without warning dropped the end he was holding and walked back to the console.

I decided not to question him. I knew enough about this man to know that it would be pointless. 'I don't suppose there's time for breakfast? I'm starving!' I said instead.

'Yes, I should think so,' he replied, still facing the console. 'There's plenty of food in the kitchen.'

I didn't understand why he'd suddenly become so detached. 'Well, where is the kitchen?' I asked a bit less politely than I had intended.

'Fourth door on the left of the second corridor.' He replied, still not looking at me. I left without saying anything and found the kitchen. There was a door to the other side of the room which I found to be a pantry. I found some cereal inside and had that for breakfast. I checked my phone to see that it was 10.45am so I made my way to the console room via my bedroom to collect my luggage.

'Ready?' I asked the Doctor. He nodded without looking at me. 'Actually,' I said angrily, 'I've changed my mind. I don't want to go.'

The Doctor finally looked at me and his confusion was evident on his face. 'Why not?'

'I've been through a lot recently. To be perfectly honest, I really cannot be bothered to go to another strange place with a man who won't even bother looking at me! So you can go and I'll just stay here, thank you.'

He genuinely looked hurt for a split second before the look changed to that of anger. He strode up to me and gave me a very menacing look. 'Why bother?' He retorted coldly. 'I'll just take you back home now, shall I? Then you will be spared of any further dealings with me'.

I couldn't believe that somebody who had been so kind and gentle to me previously was suddenly so cold and terrifying. I'd never seen such a drastic change in a person's demeanour before. 'Well at least people would talk to me back home!' I sighed, my anger fading slightly. 'I don't want to go home. I just don't want you to ignore me.'

'I am not ignoring you!' the Doctor protested, slightly calmer too.

'Yes you were! You let go of your scarf and went to the console and wouldn't even look at me until I just started this argument. Why?'

'It wasn't intentional, I assure you.' I could tell that he was lying but there was no point pursuing it and time was ticking. I was actually very keen to see this interstellar liner.

'Okay. Let's go.' We left the TARDIS and the air was heavy between us. We had materialised in a car park that was full of expensive looking cars. I guessed that our shipmates would be some of the richest people on Earth. I highly doubted that tickets to the premier interstellar cruise would be cheap. There were stewards in smart, white suits at the other end of the car park and we headed for them. 'Why is there a car park on a spaceship?' I asked in confusion.

'People like to show off their wealth,' the Doctor replied shortly.

'May I have your names please?' One of the stewards asked when we reached him.

'I am the Doctor and this is Miss Butler. I believe you'll find that we have reserved the Grand Suite,' the Doctor replied politely.

'Ah yes, take this to the reception hall and somebody will show you to your rooms,' the steward said as he passed the Doctor a ticket.

'Thank you very much,' the Doctor said with an incline of his head. We passed the stewards and followed signs to the reception hall. The hallway was panelled in mahogany with gilded edges. It was obvious that a lot of money had been spent on this place. We reached the reception hall and I gasped. It was absolutely stunning. More gold and mahogany, marble statues, and best of all was the ceiling. It was at least 60 feet above me and made entirely of glass. I could see the sky; it was the most beautiful sight. I was seeing _my _sky. But 150 years in my future. If I'd stayed on Earth I would never have seen this. I'd be long dead by now. I couldn't tear my eyes away; it looked like a normal day but I couldn't forget that everybody I knew would never see it. The Doctor nudged me forward and we went up to a steward who led us to our rooms. I couldn't stop looking around as we followed the steward. There was grandeur in everything. We reached our rooms and the steward handed the Doctor a key.

'If there is anything you need just use the intercom and your own personal steward will attend to you. Blast off is at midday and I'd advise going to the deck for it. Can I help you with anything else?'

'I think we're fine, thank you,' I replied. The steward bowed and left. The Doctor unlocked the door and gestured for me to go in first. 'Oh my God, is this really where we're staying?'

'Well I doubt we'll spend much time in here but yes this is our living room,' he replied. We were in a large living room with a beautiful, marble fireplace on one wall with an extravagant golden mantel clock above it. The carpet was plush crimson and there were black leather sofas and a black velvet divan scattered around. In one corner was a large desk with a green, bankers lamp. There was not one part of the room that didn't appeal to me and everything exuded expense. 'Your room is through here.'

He led me through the first door and we were in my bedroom. It was decorated similarly to the living room and was just as large. The four poster bed was covered in black satin sheets and was draped in thin black curtains. 'This is incredible!' I breathed.

'I'm glad you approve,' the Doctor replied. 'This trip is all about extravagance and relaxation.'

'How did you afford all this?' I'd never thought of the Doctor's finances. He didn't exactly work so how did he have money? Perhaps he earned a lot when he worked for UNIT.

'Er, well I didn't exactly pay for it... I've actually always been a bit vague about money,' the Doctor said looking confused and uncomfortable. 'But nobody here knows that so don't worry.' He smiled reassuringly and I put my head in my hand.

'They're going to find out and we're going to get kicked off, aren't we?'

'Of course not! Nothing is going to go wrong here, I promise.' He smiled again then left the room. I followed, wanting to see his bedroom. It turned out to be pretty much identical to my own, the only difference being the pictures on the walls so I decided to check out the bathroom. There was a marble Turkish bath and a very futuristic looking shower. I couldn't believe how amazing everything on this ship was. I never would have thought that I would ever travel in such style. I could afford to travel with my job back home but never first class. 'Shall we go to the deck?' The Doctor had come up behind me.

'Sure,' I said. He put his arm around me and we left to find the deck. Our earlier argument seemed forgotten. He was my friendly Doctor again.

The deck was crowded when we reached it. Everybody wanted to wave goodbye to the world and watch the ascent to space. I looked at my fellow holidaymakers trying to spot any differences in 21st and 22nd century humans. I didn't have to look far; their appearances were proof enough that we were in a different period. It almost looked like something from the Capitol in "The Hunger Games" which, funnily enough, I'd actually always imagined to be perfectly possible. Most people did not have their natural hair colour (or maybe evolution had made these colours to now be natural?) instead they sported bright coloured hair. Blue seemed to be the most popular choice followed by yellow. Clothes were bright and varied. Many men were wearing Elizabethan clothing – everywhere I looked I seemed to find ruffles – and women were in beautiful Victorian dresses. At least I'd look in place in the gowns I'd packed. I looked down at myself and chuckled.

'What are you laughing at?' The Doctor asked.

'Well, for once I think I look just as out of place as you! Perhaps I should dye my hair blue?'

'You should take comfort in the fact that you have the most pleasing appearance on this ship. Humans always have the most extraordinary idea of what fashion is. I recall a woman from your time wearing a dress made from meat. What's that all about?'

I laughed again. 'It's called attention-seeking, Doctor.' We carried on walking until we found a place to look overboard. We were stopped by glass, obviously, but we had a clear view of below us. We were at the top of what looked like a giant rocket in the middle of a desert. There were thousands of tiny dots, that I took to be people and cars, surrounding us. 'I feel like I'm on the Titanic!'

'It's the same kind of thing,' the Doctor replied.

'Let's just hope this doesn't have the same ending,' I said seriously. My short time with the Doctor had already shown me that trouble seemed to follow him.

I jumped when I heard a countdown begin on a loudspeaker. '...1. Blastoff!' With a deafening roar we shot into the air. We were clearly moving extraordinarily fast but it felt very smooth. Before I knew it, the ground was far behind us and we were leaving the mesosphere. The sky had changed from that I'd seen for so many years to dark and more star-filled than I had ever seen. It was incredible. A short while later and the view I'd always dreamed of was in front of me. I could see the whole of my stunning blue, white, and green home planet. I could see England. Incredibly, I could see London due to the number of lights. It felt like a lifetime ago that I was last there, en route to Paris. The Doctor put his arm around me and wiped away a tear from my cheek. I hadn't even noticed that I was crying.

'I've dreamed of this moment my entire life,' I whispered. 'I never thought it would ever become a reality'.

'It is spectacular, isn't it?' He replied. All I could do was stare as my home got further and further away. Soon it was nothing more than a pale blue dot.

'Ladies, gentlemen, and variations thereupon, refreshments are now being served inside,' a voice over the loudspeaker said. Most people moved inside but the Doctor and I remained.

''I hate to admit it but this is so much better than Paris,' I said, finally tearing my eyes off the sky to look at the Doctor. He smiled smugly. 'That's not to say that I don't want to get to Paris next though!'

'You're beginning to sound like a broken record, you know. Paris next but first the Orion Express. Shall we mingle?' He began to lead me off of the deck but I stopped.

'Wait, what do we do if people ask us where we're from?' I panicked.

'You tell them you're from England,' he replied nonchalantly.

'And you? Do they know about life outside Earth yet? And what about the time-travel part?'

'Are you suggesting that we think of a cover story?' The Doctor wiggled his eyebrows conspiratorially. 'Alright then, I'll be a doctor and you are my doting assistant. I think that will be convincing enough'.

I scowled. 'Your assistant? Why can't you be my assistant?'

'It's got to be believable, my dear girl! Come along, we'll be back on Earth at this rate!' He began walking again and reluctantly I followed. We went to the main first class dining room where waiters were walking around with glasses of champagne and hors d'oeuvres. The ceiling was made of glass so that we could eat and drink underneath the stars. The Doctor handed me a champagne and took one for himself. 'Would you mind if we joined you?' He asked a woman with lilac hair and an emerald dress at the closest table.

'Please do,' she beamed gesturing to two spare seats next to her. 'I am Clementina Davis and this is my husband Tristan.' Tristan had jet black hair and orange eyes. He wore a beautiful Victorian-style suit in emerald to match his wife's dress. I was surprised by their names. I'd kind of thought that, at the rate we were going in the early 21st century, names would consist mainly of numbers or something. Their names were slightly unusual but palatable.

'It's a pleasure to meet you,' the Doctor smiled. 'I am the Doctor and this is Rosaline Butler.'

'I hope you don't mind my saying, but you're dressed so unusually. Where are you from?' Tristan asked.

'Kings Hill in Kent. We're kind of closed off from the rest of the world,' I answered with a laugh.

We spent the next few hours talking to the Davis' who, I soon discovered, were two of the loveliest people I had ever met. They were from Baltimore, MD which surprised me since neither of them sounded American. Tristan was a harpist in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Clementina was a lawyer specialising in celebrity lawsuits. I was pleased to know that the Philharmonic still existed. They had actually been given their tickets by one of Clementina's clients who was astrophobic and had no desire to go himself. He had remembered her mentioning wistfully how much she'd love to be on the maiden voyage of the Orion and bought tickets as a thank you for winning the important lawsuit for him. The Doctor and I were careful not to give too much up about ourselves. The Doctor was the biggest physician in Kings Hill and I had worked for him since leaving school and shadowed him in the hope of one day following in his footsteps. The Doctor had taken me with him because he knew how space travel was my greatest dream and he had nobody else to share this amazing opportunity with. Occasionally, other guests would join our conversations and soon we'd met several new people although nobody really appealed to me as much as the Davis'. Not long after the clock struck four, the Doctor and I decided to go explore the rest of the ship so we bid our new friends adieu and went on our way.

As the ship was rocket-shaped, there were many stairs and elevators. The floors mostly comprised of both guest quarters and recreational areas around the edge, with the middle being a gaping hole surrounded by wrought iron railings so that the glass ceiling that I had seen at reception was visible above. The more expensive your ticket, the higher up your quarters were. The Doctor and I resided at the very top of the ship just a few floors underneath the main deck. I wondered who was above us because I knew they had to be some of the wealthiest people on Earth. The dining room we had been in was on the same floor as the deck so we had no choice but to go down. 'I don't suppose they have maps?' I asked the Doctor hopefully before we reached the stairs. 'I can't really be bothered to go wandering around aimlessly.'

'Where's your sense of adventure, Rosie?' I just gave him a look. 'This will tell us everything we want to know,' he said walking over to a screen on a wall. He touched it a few times and eventually a 3D plan of the rocket appeared in front of us as a HD hologram. There was a tiny Doctor avatar standing on the map where the real Doctor was standing on the actual ship.

'How does it know what you look like?' I asked in surprise.

'There's a camera in that monitor, look'. He pointed to the screen and I noticed a webcam sized camera.

'Clever'. I looked at the map in front of me. According to it, this floor consisted of the deck, the dining room, and a bar. There was everything one could possibly desire on this ship. Right at the bottom was a waterpark with slides that started several floors above. There were cinemas, countless bars and restaurants, a gym, sauna, library, shops, an observatory, theatres, an art gallery, and even a zoo! I could just tell that I wasn't going to be bored here. 'So what should we go and see first?'

The Doctor contemplated the map. 'How would you like to see what a film from the 22nd century is like?' I had expected him to suggest the art gallery or library but wasn't complaining. We found the nearest cinema which was 5 floors beneath us and saw that, to my huge surprise, they were just about to show Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

'This film came out in 2001, they can't seriously still be showing it in 2156!' But as it began I saw that it was a remake. I guess it wasn't too shocking to discover that Harry Potter was so popular that the films were remade. It was the same with Lord of the Rings, Dracula, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and countless others. What I was shocked at was how good this remake was. The whole film was in 4D so when the Dursley's and Harry took a boat to the shack on a rock we got wet too and when Snape's magic fire appeared, we felt the heat of the flames. I felt like I was watching a play rather than the film; the images were so lifelike and the effects never once led me to suspect a green screen. When it was over, I looked at the cinema's timetable. They were showing Chamber of Secrets tomorrow and a different one every day right up to the 7th. 'Doctor, we're going to see all of these,' I told him.

'We're on an interstellar cruise liner and you want to spend a week watching old films?' He asked incredulous.

'These are remakes. So much better than the ones I grew up with! Come on, how about we go dress for dinner?' A glance at my phone told me that it was almost half past seven.

'Dress? We are dressed!' the Doctor said, glancing at his attire.

'I believe it's customary to make more of an effort for dinner on a cruise ship,' I replied patiently. 'Besides, we'd stand out less and people would be more willing to approach us'. The Doctor still didn't look convinced but allowed me to drag him back to our quarters nonetheless. I went to my room to retrieve one of the suits I'd packed for him. 'Here, put this on,' I said passing him a suit. He looked at it like I'd offered him a big glass of carrot juice or something. 'Do it please,' I said with a hint of danger in my voice. He snatched it and went to his bedroom. I followed suit and picked out one of the evening gowns for myself. It was an azure blue with gold embroidery on the corset and was of Victorian design minus a bustle. It was fairly simple yet elegant and I couldn't help but keep looking at it in the mirror. I put my hair in a more elegant bun and did my make-up, putting on foundation and blush to try and hide my bruised cheek. I also put on a pearl choker to mask the cut on my neck. When I was finished I looked more feminine than I had in a long time. I went into the living room to wait for the Doctor but he was already there. He looked at me in astonishment for a split second before masking his emotions.

'You look far more pleasing on the eye than normal,' I said as he stood up. His suit consisted of a black tailcoat, a golden waistcoat and – I rolled my eyes when I noticed – his azure blue polka dot cravat. 'You just couldn't resist, could you?' I said, lifting the cravat. It was exactly the same shade as my dress and his waistcoat was the same gold as the thread on my corset. It must've been coincidence because he hadn't known what I was going to wear.

We were very close together from when I'd moved forward to touch his cravat and he was looking down at me strangely. He gently stroked my bruised cheek and said 'You look far more pleasing on the eye than normal too.' Then he stepped back and cleared his throat. 'We should go.' He offered me his arm which I took and we headed for the same dining room. When there, we found spare seats on the captain's table. Everybody introduced themselves and we kept up the guise of doctor and assistant. The Doctor was sat next to the captain and was deep in conversation with him so I found myself talking to the man on my left. His name was Eliseo Flint and he had mustard coloured hair and deep green eyes. He also had a charming smile and a suave cream suit on. He was a self-proclaimed socialite who daily shunted the advances of beautiful women who wanted him only for his money. His father had been a magazine tycoon, creating the Flint Print Group which took over ownership of most British magazines. He had died five years ago, leaving Eliseo to run the business and manage his wealth.

'Why would somebody as beautiful and intelligent as you only have the ambition of becoming a small town doctor?' he asked me.

'Because I'm from a small town. We don't have extravagant hopes and dreams, we just want to get by and give back to the community. Becoming a doctor is the best way of doing this,' I replied, pleased at the ease of my lying.

'So if I offered you any job you wanted in my company you would turn it down?'

'That would be a very kind offer but I'm afraid so. I know my vocation.'

I could tell that he was astounded but he didn't press the topic. Instead he turned the conversation to the other guests. He told me about the Mason's, the couple in the uppermost suite. He couldn't believe that I had never heard of them since Donte Mason was president of the United Nations (I wasn't even aware that there was a president of the UN but Eliseo told me that the he made the president of the United States look like mayor of a hamlet). For all intents and purposes, Donte Mason was president of the world. Below them was the president of the United States, a severe woman named Theodosia Waters. She was staying with her husband Gallus and their 18 year old daughter Aelia. Then below them was Eliseo and the Doctor and I. Eliseo couldn't understand how we could afford such a good suite and I vaguely suggested that the Doctor had won the lottery a long time ago and put the winnings in an ISA. It silenced Eliseo but I doubt if he truly believed me.

'Would you like to come to the bar with me?' he asked long after dessert had been finished. I glanced over to the Doctor who was still deep in conversation with the captain and a woman next to the captain. I guessed that he wouldn't miss me so I agreed to go with Eliseo.

The bar looked like an nineteenth century gentlemen's club and I would have felt extremely out of place if it wasn't for my garb and the fact that there were several other women in there. I spent the remainder of the night drinking cocktails that I'd never even heard of before and getting merrier by the minute whilst making the acquaintance of the Mason's, the Waters' and several others who occupied suites on the floors below me. About an hour after entering the bar, I was delighted to see Clementina and Tristan enter. I introduced them to the political families and was surprised to see that they already knew some of them. Together we made many new friends. The bar shut at 2am and Eliseo walked me back to my suite.

'I'm very glad I met you tonight,' he said when we reached my door. He was standing very close to me.

'Me too,' I replied. He leant forward and tried to kiss me on the lips but I took a step back, bumping into the door. 'Goodnight, maybe I'll see you at breakfast.' I quickly entered my suite and shut the door on him before he could reply. I leant against the door and shut my eyes. Why did he have to do that? We were getting on so well, I had thought, but not like _that_! He wasn't my type at all. He was friendly enough but clearly a spoilt boy living off of Daddy's fame and fortune. I opened my eyes to see the Doctor laying on the divan watching me. 'Hello,' I said, moving to sit on the edge by his feet.

'I wondered where you had gotten to,' he said flatly.

'I went to the bar and I met the president of the world! Never thought I'd even meet David Cameron! Not that I've ever wanted to... I met the president of the States as well and I saw Clementina and Tristan again.' The Doctor's face was completely emotionless. 'I would have asked if you wanted to come but you were busy talking to the captain and I didn't want to interrupt.' I didn't know why I felt the need to explain myself.

'You should go to bed, it's very late.'

'I will. Perhaps you should take your own advice.' I went to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth and when I left, the Doctor was still on the divan. 'Goodnight,' I said. He didn't reply. In my room I pondered on it. Was he jealous because of Eliseo? Surely not. He was probably just annoyed that I'd gone off without telling him. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow thanks to the alcohol in my system.

When I awoke, the Doctor was sitting on the edge of my bed, watching me. 'Good morning?' I croaked, wondering what he was doing.

'I have something to tell you,' he said.

My heart immediately filled with dread. I could just tell that it was bad news. 'What?' I demanded unintentionally sounding quite rude.

He took a deep breath and took my hand. 'Clementina...passed away last night,' he said delicately.

'No, that can't be right. I was with her last night. You must have been dreaming'.

'I'm afraid not. I've just heard it from the captain. She fell from the railings on her way back from the bar. I'm so sorry'.

My eyes filled with tears. 'You're wrong. You have to be,' I whispered. 'Tell me you're lying!' I shouted, pulling my hand from his. I'd only known her the one day but we had bonded greatly. We had talked and acted as though we were old friends.

'I can't. I'm sorry.' He was trying to keep a blank face but was failing. He looked almost as upset as I felt.

'How would she just fall from a railing? It can't have been an accident.'

'That was my belief too. I'm inclined to believe that she may have been pushed.'

'Why would anybody want to kill her?' My voice was cracking with emotion.

'I don't know,' he replied. 'But I intend to find out.' I crawled out from under the duvet and burrowed myself in the Doctor's chest. Perhaps if I stayed there long enough I would wake up for real to realise that this was all just a nightmare. The Doctor held me tight as though letting go would mean losing me. I don't know how long we stayed like that, me sobbing into his chest, him with his head on mine, stroking my back. Eventually I pulled away.

'We have to find her killer,' I said determinedly. 'That's what we do, we solve things, isn't it? We'll find them.'

'We will. I promise.' The Doctor kissed the top of my head then stood up. I wiped my eyes and followed suit.

'I'll get dressed then we'll get started. There's not a moment to lose!' The Doctor left my room and I pulled on the first outfit I could find. I was working on autopilot. My brain was too full of thoughts of Clementina to do anything else. The Doctor was waiting for me in the living room.

'I think, perhaps, we should start at the bar and follow in her footsteps to reach the scene of the crime,' he said when I entered.

'Fine,' I replied. My stomach lurched when we entered the bar. Tristan was there surrounded by guests and he looked up at our arrival and made his way towards us. I didn't expect to see him and I wasn't prepared! I had never been good at comforting people. I offered him a small, sympathetic smile when he reached us.

'I guess you've heard...' he said to us sadly.

'Yes. We're so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine how you must be feeling; Clementina was the loveliest woman I've ever had the fortune of meeting.'

'I thought so too,' he replied.

'We're going to do everything we possibly can to find out how this happened, Tristan, rest assured,' the Doctor said with grim determination in his voice.

'Don't get yourselves into trouble!' Tristan urged. 'If it was foul play, the murderer must be amidst us. If they see you snooping, you might be next and I couldn't bear that too!'

'We'll look after ourselves,' I replied, patting his arm. 'We just want to help,'

'Yes, so could you think of any reason why somebody would want Clementina dead?' the Doctor asked before Tristan could object again. 'On second thoughts, perhaps we should have this conversation somewhere more private?'

Tristan sighed and followed the Doctor and I out of the bar and into our living room. Once seated he replied to the Doctor's original question. 'Why would anybody want somebody so perfect dead?' His voice cracked and my heart broke. 'I can't imagine anybody on this ship killing her if they knew her.'

'So you don't think it could have been somebody she'd met?'

'I can't say that for sure. I'm not even sure if it was an accident or not. I can't be sure of anything anymore.'

I sat next to him and took his hand which he gently squeezed. 'Could you tell us what happened after I said goodnight to you?'

'Well, as you know, we left the bar with you and Eliseo and left the two of you at the stairs. We had gone down two flights when Clementina realised that she'd left her shawl in the bar so I left her there to go and retrieve it. I didn't see the point in both of us going. I never even said goodbye to her...' he trailed off with tears leaking out of his eyes. He cleared his throat and continued, 'When I came back down she wasn't there and I assumed she'd gone back to our suite. She wasn't there either but the intercom was flashing. I answered and it was a steward telling me... telling me to come to reception. I hurried down and when I got there, there was a crowd gathered around a body... her body.' Sobs overcame him and he shook with grief. I put my arm around him and tried to soothe him.

The Doctor crouched in front of Tristan so that they were at the same level. 'This is important, Tristan. Is there anybody on this ship with any connection to you or Clementina? Any connection may be significant, no matter how small you think it may be.'

Tristan took a few deep breaths before answering. 'Well, I publicly refused to play at Theodosia Waters' inauguration because of her stance on welfare and health care which caused her great embarrassment. But surely that isn't enough? The Flint Print Group were successfully sued by GMG thanks to Clementina but Eliseo was with you, Rosie.'

'Anything else?' the Doctor pushed.

'I don't know... every case won by Clem would've won her enemies. Anybody might be on this ship. She did deal with celebrities after all...'

'You should get some rest. There's nothing more you can do at the moment. We'll let you know as soon as we know anything,' the Doctor said, standing up.

Tristan followed suit and held out a hand to the Doctor. 'Thank you for your help. If we can find the murderer and bring them to justice then perhaps I can get closure.' He turned to me and took my hand which he brushed with his lips. 'Take care, Rosie.'

'You too,' I replied with a sad smile. When he had left and shut the door behind me, I collapsed onto the sofa and the Doctor did the same.

'Where to start?' He pondered aloud. 'I should very much like a look at the list of passengers,' he answered himself. He stood up. 'I'm going to reception. You can stay here if you'd like.'

'No, I'll come,' I replied standing up too. I wanted to help Tristan in any way possible and sitting around moping certainly wasn't going to help. The Doctor the door and we found Eliseo standing there with his hand raised, about to knock on the now open door.

'Oh, hello,' Eliseo said smoothly to the Doctor. Then he looked past him to me. 'I wanted to check up on you; I know you were friends with Clementina.' He pushed past the Doctor into the room and embraced me. 'I'm here for you.'

I felt uncomfortable in his arms and gently pulled away. 'Thank you. I'm okay, just shocked.'

The Doctor cleared his throat. 'I'll be downstairs if you need me,' he said giving Eliseo a look of disdain. He left without even looking at me and I was unimpressed that I'd been left alone with Eliseo given that he was on our list of suspects and he had tried to kiss me. On the other hand... we needed to talk to the suspects and now would be a good time to see if Eliseo would let anything slip without making him suspicious. So I took Eliseo's hand and led him to the sofa.

'She caused my father's company a great deal of bother you know,' Eliseo said nonchalantly. 'I hadn't met her until you introduced us last night though. She was so lovely that I forgave her straight away. I was looking forward to getting to know her better but now...' he took a deep breath, 'it's too late.'

I looked at his face. He did appear to be upset. I nuzzled in to him. 'Do you think it really was an accident? Would anybody want her dead?' I tried to sound sorrowful but nonchalant.

'I don't know. I suppose she probably has a lot of enemies on this ship. She's won a lot of high profile cases after all.' He put his arm around me and drew me closer. He lifted my head so that my eyes met his own. He leaned his head towards mine and I knew he was trying to kiss me again. I lowered my head.

'I can't, I'm sorry. Not now that...' I trailed off thinking of Clementina.

'You shunned me last night too and she wasn't even dead then. Don't you find me attractive?'

I wondered on his words. We didn't know exactly how long after the Davis' had left us it was when it happened. 'Of course I do. How couldn't I? I just don't feel that way for you. I see you as a friend!'

He chuckled. 'Got it. Is it because of your Doctor? He's more than a mentor, right?'

I looked at him in surprise. 'The Doctor? Of course not!'

He snorted in disbelief. 'Yeah right. I've seen the way he looks at you.'

'What? That's ridiculous. The Doctor is only interested in the Doctor.' I sighed. 'It's not important anyway. Nothing is at the moment. Clementina's gone, that's all that matters.'

'Everybody dies, Rosaline.' He no longer seemed as sorrowful as he'd let on earlier. Clearly he wasn't as devastated by Clementina's death as I was. A tear trickled down my face and he wiped it away tenderly. 'Let me take you for dinner tonight. Just you and I, to take your mind off of this tragedy.'

'That's kind but I don't think I'm up for that. Maybe in a few days or something.' I stood up. 'I kind of want to be alone right now. I'm sure you understand.'

Eliseo looked disappointed but stood up too. 'Okay, just let me know if you change your mind.' He kissed my hand and left. I sunk back onto the sofa and sighed in relief. I figured that there was no point going to reception now so I decided to wait where I was for the Doctor to return. I thought of Clementina: her winning smile, infectious laughter, carefree spirit. She was everything I loved in a person and I'd never see her again. Tear after tear escaped my eyes and soon I was sobbing my heart out into the sofa. I must have eventually dozed off because I woke up to the Doctor gently shaking me. He sat at my feet.

'So your investigation is going well, I see.' He must have seen my puffy eyes because he patted my shin sympathetically. 'I suppose entertaining Flint exhausted you?'

'You could say that,' I said, missing his meaning. 'He doesn't seem very bothered by her death; he spent most of his time trying to woo me.' I scowled. 'He's so insensitive! He could see how upset I was.'

The Doctor exhaled deeply. 'Well, I looked at the passenger list and found five people on board – including Flint and Waters – who may have been holding a grudge against Clementina. I suggest we get a little closer to them, see if they exhibit any suspicious behaviour. We mustn't let on that we are investigating this abhorrent crime. You didn't tell Flint did you?'

'Of course not. Perhaps I should go to dinner with him. See if he lets anything else slip...'

'Anything else?'

'Yeah, I don't know if I'm looking too into it but it sounded like he knew when exactly Clementina had died...' I recounted my conversation with Eliseo to him excluding his suspicions about the Doctor and I.

'That certainly is interesting but not enough to go on for the moment. Perhaps you must go to dinner with him. But invite Theodosia and her husband so you can kill two birds with one stone.' I glared at his careless metaphor. 'Sorry, that was in bad taste,' he said sheepishly.

'God a _date _with Eliseo... if this doesn't show my dedication to Clementina, I don't know what will!' The Doctor smiled widely. 'Well I'm glad you find something amusing!' I glowered.

He ignored me. 'I will go in search of Jenisa Charles, Calloway Murphy, and Percival Ferguson and see if any of them can shed some light on our crime. We'll have our killer soon, my dear.' He smiled reassuringly.

'I want to go and see Clementina,' I said.

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably. 'She fell from a great height,' he said softly. 'She's not in the best state. It's probably best if you just remember her as she was.'

'No, I want to see her!' I looked him in the eye. 'You've already seen her.' It wasn't a question.

'After getting the list of passengers. I wanted to see if our killer had left behind any traces but it appears that they knew what they were doing. I didn't wait for you because I wanted to shield you from it. There's no need for you to see her like this.'

I glared at him. 'You don't get to decide things on my behalf. Just because you're the one with the transportation doesn't mean that you make the rules. I'm seeing her.' He sighed and nodded glumly. 'Where is she?'

'I'll take you. If that meets with your approval?'

I decided to ignore his sarcasm. It seemed that I'd just bruised his ego. 'Come on then.' I wasn't about to let on, but I needed him to come with me anyway. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to handle it alone. He led me to the very bottom of the ship and paused outside a door that looked no different to all the others.

'Are you quite certain that you want to do this?' He asked gently. I nodded, not trusting my voice since my heart had become lodged in my throat. He put an arm around me and opened the door. I faltered for a split second but forced myself to enter first. We were in a small, plain, storeroom. There were stacks of sheets and towels on shelves but nothing else in the room save Clementina. She had been placed on a table, not much longer than herself, and was underneath a black satin sheet. I slowly walked towards the table and the Doctor stayed where he was. I lifted the sheet, knowing that no matter how bad it was I couldn't adversely react. I couldn't let the Doctor see that he was right about me coming. So, when I removed the sheet from her face, I didn't outwardly react. Internally, I was trembling and attempting to settle my stomach. She looked far worse than I could possibly have imagined – what was left of her at any rate, at least. If I hadn't have already known that it was Clementina it would have been impossible to identify her due to the absence of most of her face. I felt slightly faint at the sight and tried to subtly take a deep breath to steady myself. I felt an arm around my shoulders and allowed myself to lean back onto the Doctor. 'Are you alright?' he murmured into my ear.

'Fine,' I lied. I put my hand on top of his on my shoulder. 'Oh Clementina. Look at you. Why did this happen? You and I had so many plans for this trip and now you've left me. At least you saw the stars. Just like you always dreamed...' Overcome with grief, I found that I couldn't say any more. The Doctor pulled me into a hug and I held on to him fiercely. I felt safe in his arms and was reluctant to break away. If I stayed in his arms, perhaps nothing bad could happen again.

When my tears had subsided he gently pulled away. 'Let's go back upstairs,' he suggested. I nodded and he put the sheet back over Clementina's mangled face. 'Goodbye Clementina. You will be sorely missed.'

'Goodbye,' I whispered. We went back upstairs and when we reached our floor I saw Eliseo leaving his suite. 'Eliseo,' I called out. He smiled at me and came over.

'Hello, how are you feeling?'

'Not much better but I've been doing a lot of thinking and I wondered if we could do dinner tonight?'

'Of course! I'll come knock on your door at 8?'

'That sounds fine,' I replied. 'Would you mind inviting the Waters'? I got on well with them last night and it would be nice to have the added company.'

He looked slightly put out but agreed nonetheless. 'Until tonight then,' he said, kissing my hand. I smiled and led the Doctor back to our suite.

'Well that's my part done for now. How are you going to try and get information from the other three?' I said, as I sat on the divan.

'I'm not sure yet. I suppose I'll do what I always do and improvise...' He smiled at me then sighed when he noticed my face. He sat down next to me. 'I'm so sorry about Clementina. I brought you here into the mess. I just wanted to treat you. I didn't know it would backfire so magnificently. I suppose I should have. It always does, you know.'

I leaned against him and took his hand, squeezing it sympathetically. 'It's not your fault. You weren't to know any of this would happen.'

'I broke my promise to you. Clearly it was too much to ask for things to go smoothly just for once.' He suddenly looked concerned. 'Please be careful tonight. Don't go anywhere alone with those people; make sure there's always others nearby.'

'Don't worry, I will. I have no desire to end up like poor Clementina.'

'Good.' He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. 'If we leave now, we'll be in time to see that film you wanted to watch. It will do you good to take your mind off this terrible business for a short while.'

I felt like I shouldn't do anything that I would enjoy because Clementina couldn't do it but I knew the Doctor was right so I followed him to the cinema to watch the second Harry Potter instalment. I spent the entirety of the film dreading its end. I knew that once it was over I'd have to get ready for that dreaded dinner. All too soon we were making our way back to our suite.

'Did you enjoy the film?' the Doctor asked.

'Yes,' I replied flatly.

'It was an intriguing idea. Completely unrealistic, of course, but I'd be content to watch the third instalment tomorrow, if you wanted.'

'Sure.' He knew that he wouldn't get any further conversation from me so gave up. When we got back to our suite I went straight into my room to dress for dinner. I chose a clingy but elegant crimson gown that was made of silk and had a very low-cut back. I put on matching lipstick and tied my hair in the same style as the previous night. I did the rest of my make-up to cover up my bruised cheek again, and put on a black velvet choker to hide my neck. When I was ready, I went back into the living room. I found the Doctor laying on the divan, reading a book. He looked up at my arrival.

'You've made a big effort considering you supposedly aren't interested in Flint.' He said in a faux-carefree manner.

'I just didn't want to arouse suspicion,' I returned.

'You'll have a hard job trying to keep him away from you,' he warned.

'I'll manage.' There was a knock on the door and a quick glance at the mantel clock told me that it was 8pm exactly. 'That will be Eliseo, I suppose.' I walked across the room and opened the door to find Eliseo Flint dressed in a moss-green velvet suit and holding a bouquet of multi-coloured roses.

'These are for you,' he smiled. 'You look so beautiful.'

'Thank you,' I replied uncomfortably. I took the roses from him and retreated back into the living room to find somewhere to put them.

'I hope you don't mind my whisking off your lovely companion, Doctor,' Eliseo said to the Doctor.

'Not at all. Just be sure to have her back in one piece. I don't know how I'd run my practice without her.' He sounded polite and friendly but there was a slight ice in his voice. It almost confirmed my suspicions that he disliked Eliseo but I didn't know his reasoning.

'Okay, let's go,' I said before Eliseo could reply to the Doctor. 'See you later, Doctor.'

'Cheerio,' he said, returning to his book.

Eliseo didn't take me to the main dining room. Instead, he led me to the lifts and down into a grand ballroom. There were tables all around and a on a stage a talented singer was accompanied by a jazz band. Theodosia and Gallus were waiting for us at a table at the other side of the room.

'I hope you haven't waiting too long for us,' I said politely when we reached them. 'Thank you so much for agreeing to have dinner with us.'

'We were delighted to receive an invitation,' Gallus replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. 'Such a pleasant surprise.'

'I just thought I'd take advantage of getting to know you better. It's such a privilege to be able to dine with the president and First Gentleman.'

Most of our conversation was trivial. Theodosia kept slyly hinting about myself and Eliseo which I highly resented but he just laughed off. Nobody had mentioned Clementina and I didn't want to be the first and arouse their suspicions. When we had finished dinner, Theodosia said, 'I do hope this ballroom stays open later than that bar did last night. Gallus and I were not ready to retire. We were going to try and find somewhere else to go when we heard all that commotion with that Davis woman. Dreadful event.'

'Commotion? Eliseo and I went straight back to our suites after the bar shut. I didn't find out until this morning.'

'If only I could say the same. We saw Tristan crying at the railings where she fell but didn't want to pry so we returned to our suite.'

I was almost certain she was lying as Tristan had told us that he'd only found out about Clementina when he'd gotten to the bottom of the ship, where she lay. And she'd just suggested that they'd found out last night even though they didn't speak to Tristan then went straight to their rooms. But what reason would she have for lying? Unless, of course, she was covering up the part she played in that night's events. Then, what about Eliseo's slip earlier and uncaring attitude that contrasted with his words to me? Perhaps I was just looking too into things in my determination to find the killer.

'Shall we dance?' Eliseo asked, standing up and holding his hand out to me. All I wanted was to get back to the suite to see if the Doctor had found anything out but I knew I couldn't leave yet without it looking strange. Instead, I took his hand and followed him to the ballroom floor, the Waters' close behind us. During the course of dinner, the music had changed from jazz to classical and so Eliseo held me close as we danced slowly to the unfamiliar tunes. After a while, I saw Theodosia whisper something to Gallus before he came and tapped Eliseo on the shoulder.

'Would you mind terribly if I borrowed your beautiful partner for this dance?' He asked smoothly.

'Not at all, if my lady has no objections.' Eliseo replied. I couldn't think of any so I allowed Gallus to take me away. Theodosia took my place with Eliseo, her head on his shoulder, and appeared to start speaking to him in an urgent manner. I couldn't hear what she was saying so concentrated on Eliseo's face instead. His was an empty mask but his eyes told another story. They flashed with worry then anger and he interrupted Theodosia to talk himself.

'...make a splendid couple.' I realised that Gallus was speaking to me and tuned back in.

'Sorry?' I replied.

'I know he's spent the evening laughing it off but I am quite certain that he has a fondness for you. I'd be delighted to hear wedding bells soon...'

'Wedding bells! I've only known the man since yesterday!'

'I proposed to Theodosia after 12 hours of meeting her and everybody rebuked me for waiting so long!' He noted my bewildered expression. 'Surely Kings Hill isn't so cut off from the rest of the world that this behaviour is a surprise?'

'I'm afraid it is. We consider even a year of knowing somebody to be a rushed proposal!'

'What a peculiar place you are from, dear child!'

At that moment, Theodosia returned to her husband. 'I think it is time to retire for the night, Gallus. Come along.' The two of them bid me goodnight and I was left in the company of Eliseo once more.

'Perhaps we should follow their lead?' I suggested. 'It is getting late after all.'

'You're quite right.' He said, taking my hand and leading me out of the ballroom and into a lift. I noticed that he pressed the button for the deck, and not our floor, and panicked slightly.

'Did you press the wrong button?' I asked when the doors opened to give us a view of the deck.

'I thought we might have a quick glance at the stars before going our separate ways,' he purred. I tried to look relaxed as he led me further along the deserted deck. He looked up to the heavens. 'It's mesmerising, isn't it?'

'Yes,' I breathed. He turned to face me and, before I knew what was happening, pressed his lips to mine. I tried to pull away but he put a hand to my head, keeping me in place. Without thinking, I slapped him and he pushed me away from him.

'Why won't you return my feelings?' He demanded angrily, rubbing his now red cheek.

'That's hardly the way to woo a lady,' I replied, just as angry.

'You wouldn't respond to anything else!'

'Did you try the same on Clementina? Is that why you killed her?' I didn't know what made me say it, it just came out. His face gave nothing away but his eyes betrayed him, just for a split second.

'She fell. I had nothing to do with it.' His voice was low yet cold. He began to walk towards me and I backed away with every step he took.

'Liar.' I matched his tone and volume.

'I've never seen anything in that superficial whore!'

'Then why did you do it? Because she won a suit against you? Is that it?' I took a further step back and felt the cool, glass wall behind me. He had me literally backed into a corner.

Two more steps and he'd reached me. 'Partly,' he confessed. 'I thought I'd do the world a favour.' He looked sorrowful for a moment. 'Why did you have to stick your beautiful nose into things that didn't concern you?' he hissed. 'I can't let you go now but,' he stroked my cheek and I winced, 'I will regret your passing greatly.' His hands found my throat and cut off my supply of oxygen. I clawed at his hands to no avail. His hands were pushing harder and harder upon my trachea and my brain began to fog over as my eyes watered uncontrollably. I scratched at his face instead and, after what seemed an eternity, he let go of me to clutch his face in agony. I didn't spare a moment but ran for the stairs and down the three flights to my suite. I opened the door as quickly as possibly before flying in and locking it again.

'Enjoy your _date_?' The Doctor emphasised his final word with darkness in his tone. He had been reading again and hadn't looked up at my arrival. He must have heard my ragged breathing as he looked up before I could try and reply. His eyes widened in shock and he hurried to my side. 'My goodness, what's happened? Are you alright?' My throat hurt far too much for words and I hadn't regained my breath so I just embraced him as tightly as I physically could whilst sobbing hysterically. 'Come here,' he murmured, leading me to the sofa. He tried to calm me down and, after several minutes, I managed to stop the flow of tears and attempt to use my voice.

'Eliseo...he killed Clementina. He admitted it then he, he, tried to kill me.' I paused to stifle more tears. 'He strangled me but I scratched his face and he dropped his arms and I managed to get away.'

The Doctor pulled me close to him. 'You're safe now. I won't let him harm you. Get some sleep and we can talk about this in the morning.'

Now that he mentioned it, I realised that my ordeal had exhausted me so I took his advice. I fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of an iron grip on my throat and falling for an eternity. I woke up with a jolt, just before I hit the floor, to hear my mobile ringing. I sleepily reached under my pillow for it and saw that it was my mother calling. I had no idea what time it was in England but it was 10am for me. I'd been asleep longer than I would have guessed. I rejected the call and took the SIM card out. It was easier not to have to worry about people from back home calling me. After dressing, I found the Doctor in his usual spot in the living room and he was reading again. He hadn't noticed my entrance and I stayed where I was, so as to observe him for a moment. His eyes flickered across the pages of his book and occasionally he would scoff or raise his eyebrows in disbelief. It was nice seeing him engaged in such a normal activity for once.

He glanced up and saw me staring, causing me to blush and avert my gaze. 'How are you feeling?' he asked, voice laced with concern.

'Fine. What are you reading?'

'Relativity: The Special and General Theory. It's shocking that so many of your species think he's a genius. Of course, I did occasionally nudge him in the right direction so that his work had some merit.' He smiled and beckoned me over to him. 'Back to the matter at hand, I must tell you something important.'

'What is it?' I asked curiously.

'I'm not certain I believe that Flint murdered Clementina.'

'But he confessed then tried to kill me to stop it getting out!' I interjected.

'Last night, I had the fortune of finding Jenisa Charles, Calloway Murphy, and Percival Ferguson having dinner together. I managed to hide this near them.' He produced a small gadget covered in blinking blue lights that I had never seen before. 'It's a listening device of sorts. Quite rudimentary but it did manage to pick up some points of import. Charles and Ferguson were angry with Murphy for pushing Clementina over the rails because he could have easily been caught it seems. Murphy did not believe it mattered since nobody suspects foul play but the others were not convinced.'

'But why would Eliseo lie about such a thing?' I was so confused. I hadn't even met the three people in question. Moreover, why would Eliseo strangle me over a false accusation? Nothing seemed to make sense.

'It's very curious, I'll admit.' The Doctor scratched his head and appeared to be thinking hard.

'It's not just that. I haven't told you the whole story about last night.' His eyes met mine, inviting me to continue. I recounted the events of the ballroom, including what Theodosia had said about seeing Tristan by the rail, and when she had seemed to be furiously whispering to Eliseo. Then I told him about getting into the lift with Eliseo and him pressing the button for the deck.

'What did I say about being alone with any of them?' The Doctor interrupted loudly, startling me.

'Yes, I know. And you were proved right. Shouldn't you be pleased with yourself?' I snapped back.

'Pleased? Pleased! You could have died, Rosie, of course I'm not pleased! Just because one is always right, doesn't mean one always enjoys it.'

'Anyway,' I began again, before he could say anything further, 'on the deck, he tried to kiss me again and I slapped him. We argued, and I said that he'd killed Clementina. I don't care what you've said about your trio, there is no way he is that good an actor for his eyes to betray him as they did. It must have been him.'

'Of course!' the Doctor exclaimed, standing up. 'It's obvious, isn't it?'

'What is?' I replied racking my brain to pre-empt him.

'We've stumbled upon a conglomerate. Think, Rosie! All of these people had bad business with our friend. Flint confessed to you, Waters was lying and acting suspiciously, Murphy claimed to be the culprit and was named by Charles and Ferguson as the murderer, both of whom seemed to be in on it. It all fits together.'

'You know how I hate to admit it, but I think you must be right.' He smiled proudly. 'So what do we do now?'

'I think we've done quite enough. The authorities can take it from here. Let's find Tristan and the three of us can go the the marshal together.' He held out a hand which I accepted.

What seemed like an eternity later, the Doctor, Tristan, and I finally got to witness the arrest of Eliseo Flint, Theodosia and Gallus Waters, Jenisa Charles, Calloway Murphy, and Percival Ferguson. All confessed. It turned out that they had been planning it for months. It had been Jenisa Charles who had sent the cruise tickets to Clementina – not her client – together with a forged note explaining the reason behind the gift. They had all (disgustingly, I thought) drawn straws to determine who would do the deed. Murphy had drawn the short straw, much to his dismay, and seized the opportunity when he saw Clementina, with her back to him, leaning against the rail and looking down to the bottom. It had been only too easy for him to give her a small push and walk away as she fell to her death.

'Thank you for all you have done,' Tristan said, in the most heartfelt manner, once we were alone. 'Both of you have done more than I could possibly have dreamed. And you, Rosie,' he embraced me tightly, 'nearly dying for it. I don't know how I could ever repay you.'

'Your thanks is enough,' I replied honestly. 'We wanted the same as you after all. It may not have brought Clementina back to us but at least justice has been served.'

'Will you both dine with me tonight?'

'Of course,' the Doctor replied. We said goodbye to Tristan and I hugged him tightly, knowing I would never see him again. The Doctor and I returned to our suite in silence. Once there, I began to make my way to my room but was stopped by him barring my way. I looked at him questioningly. 'We could go to the cinema?' He suggested.

'Can't we just leave? I don't want to be questioned further and I most certainly won't be able to enjoy spending anymore time here. The whole thing has been ruined for me.'

The Doctor flashed me a smile. 'Best idea you've ever had. I do hate staying to tidy up.' We hurriedly packed and left for the TARDIS without encountering anybody we knew. I breathed a sigh of relief once we were back in the beautiful, blue box. 'Right. Paris in 3013!'

'Actually, I've changed my mind.' I stated.

'You want to stay?' the Doctor asked incredulously.

'No, of course not! But I'm sick of the future. I've seen it. Let's go back in time. Let's visit Paris in the 1860s instead.' I had already planned what I wanted to do there.

'If that's your wish. I do feel the need to make up for this most unfortunate trip.' He flew around the console, pressing buttons and pulling levers, and soon we were off. I prayed that we wouldn't find trouble in this next place but I wasn't hopeful.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N – **I hope you enjoyed my last chapter more than I did. Decided that murder mysteries aren't really my thing, especially when I've been wanting to write this chapter for so long!

P.S. Hope everybody's watched Day of the Doctor several times!

**Chapter 6: La F**_**ée Verte**_

I'd left the Doctor to tinker with equipment in the console room. I went in search of the bathroom I'd seen the first time I explored the TARDIS. The one with the Olympic-pool sized bathtub. That was exactly what I needed. Happily, it didn't take too long to find. I found a cabinet filled with bubble baths so I poured a generous amount into the bathtub. I soaked in there for as long as possible, milling over the past couple of days. Of Clementina... The interstellar cruise would have probably been the best experience of my life if it hadn't have been tainted in the worst possible way. It hurt a great deal and I knew that it most likely would for a long while, but hopefully Paris would numb the pain. Provided we actually got there, of course. Since the Doctor had offered to take me, we'd ended up on a moon in a far off galaxy, Imperial Russia, Battle, and in the middle of a murder mystery. Although, at least for the latter, we'd actually ended up where he had planned to take us.

Reluctantly, I left the respite of my bath and dried off. I found my way to the wardrobe and searched for a dress from the nineteenth century. Surely in a wardrobe of this size there would be at least one? Finally, on the third floor and hidden behind a rack of coats, I found it. Royal blue with silver embroidery along the bodice, an A Line skirt that made my waist look tiny, ¾ length sleeves... it was perfect. To finish it off, I found a navy cloak that was lined in white fur. Pleased with my appearance, I left for the console room.

'What do you think? I asked the Doctor when I entered.

He looked up and did a double take. 'Beautiful,' he said with disdain.

'You don't seem very pleased about that.' I noted.

'Naturally. I have nothing to antagonise you with. Why don't you wear my coat?'

'I don't want to look like a clown,'

'I do _not _look like a clown!' he boomed.

I decided not to bother. 'You need to dress, come on, I'd like us to actually fit in!'

'The things I do for you,' he grumbled, pushing me gently as he left the console room. I touched the console, careful not to accidentally press any buttons or switches. I examined it trying to make sense of it. 'Tampering with my TARDIS?' the Doctor had crept up on me and made me jump.

'How many times? Stop doing that!' I exclaimed angrily.

He just took my hand and placed it above a switch. 'This one turns on the scanner...' He pressed my hand down gently so that I turned the switch. A screen appeared on one of the roundels and showed a cobbled street with carts being drawn by horses. There were quaint cafés with outdoor seating and people sitting drinking coffee. We'd actually made it. But now that we were here I had other ideas.

'What about this one?' I asked taking his hand and hovering it above a blue button.

He pulled his hand away. 'That one,' he paused to give me a stern look, 'turns off the oxygen supply.'

'Oops. I'll remember that.'

'Would you like a quick lesson in piloting her?'

'Really? You trust me for that?'

'Hmm... probably not wise but I suppose you can't do too much damage under my supervision. I'll just bring us into the Time Vortex so we can remain undisturbed.' He took control of the console and soon the scanner showed an indescribable tunnel of lights instead of 19th century Paris. 'There we are. I'll tell you the names and function of all the buttons first – not that I expect you to remember most of them – then we'll see if you can get us back to Paris.' He pointed to every single button, switch, and lever on the console and gave them a name and function. I was pretty certain that he'd made half the names up. For instance, when would something genuinely be called a "vespian transmodifier rachet override planned stimulator"? But he insisted that he wasn't making it up. When he'd shown me the last button (the matter transporter) he turned to me. 'Ready to return to Paris?'

'You are going to help me, aren't you?' I asked nervously.

'I most certainly am! I don't want you breaking my TARDIS!' He took my hand again. 'I'll guide you through the entire journey. Now, input these co-ordinates...' I followed his instructions, allowing him to take control of my hand and guide me to the correct controls. 'And finally, dematerialise!' The time rotor (I finally knew what the pillar at the centre of the console was called) sprung into action.

'We're moving!' I exclaimed happily. Of course, the Doctor had done all the work, so there was no reason for it not to be moving, but I felt a sense of achievement nonetheless.

'You're a natural. She clearly likes you,' he replied.

I looked at him sceptically. 'She has feelings?'

'Of course! She'd soon let you know if she didn't like you.'

I stroked the console in appreciation. 'I like her too.'

'We're here,' the Doctor said, gesturing to the scanner. We'd arrived at exactly the same place it seemed. Even the people drinking coffee outside looked the same. 'Not bad, eh?'

'Looks like I'm better at flying her than you. I actually got us to the right...' I trailed off, noticing the Doctor's attire for the first time.

'What's the matter?' he asked, clearly wondering why I'd just trailed off.

'I've just noticed that you changed your clothes,' I said distantly, too busy taking in his appearance to really listen to him.

'You told me to! You don't have the best memory, do you?'

'I was too busy with the TARDIS to notice.' He was wearing a black frock coat with silver embroidery along the edges instead of buttons and button holes. Underneath was a ruffled white shirt, with ruffled sleeves poking out of the coat's sleeves. His waistcoat was crimson and his cravat was silver with the same embroidery as the coat. His trousers matched his coat and he had high laced boots on. 'You suit the "French man at court look".'

'Is that so? Perhaps I'll take it up in my next regeneration. Shall we?' He held out an arm to me. 'Oh wait a moment, I believe I've forgotten something.' He left the console room and returned a couple of minutes later sporting a top hat which he took off and tipped to me before returning it to his head and taking my arm. 'Let's go then.'

'Hang on, what about money? I doubt they'll accept my Euros.'

'You mean you don't just carry Francs around with you? Luckily for you, I do.'

We left the TARDIS and followed the road. 'I can't believe we've finally made it to Paris,' I laughed.

'I did tell you I'd get us here, did I not? I just, er, decided to take you the scenic route.'

I scoffed. 'If you say so, Doctor. Let's go to the Eiffel Tower! I wonder where it is...' I said, looking around.

The Doctor chuckled. We're in 1865, my dear. Construction doesn't start for another 22 years.'

'Oh,' I said in disappointment. 'Well let's go see the absence of Eiffel Tower then.' I pulled the Doctor onwards.

'You won't find it that way,' he said, steering me to the right. We walked only a short distance before we found a great expanse of space that would one day become the square underneath the Eiffel Tower. I could see the Seine and lots of aesthetically pleasing buildings.

'This is bizarre,' I said staring at the empty skyline. 'I've been up that tower so many times and it's not even here! If I close my eyes I can see it exactly how it was when I was here last year.'

'You were here in 1864?' the Doctor asked with an intrigued expression on his face but a wicked glint in his eye.

'Oh, you know what I mean! Last year for me. 2012.'

'I see. I can remember when it opened. The lift wasn't functioning yet so we had to walk all the way to the top. It took over an hour because Gustave kept stopping to make comments. He was very proud of his tower.'

You mean to say that you met Monsieur Eiffel?'

'Met? I helped him design the thing!' He chuckled and put an arm around me. It certainly improves the place, very desolate without it.'

'It's snowing!'

'Hmm? Oh yes, so it is.' He turned towards me and put the hood of my cloak up for me. 'I don't want you getting ill.' A snowflake landed on my nose and he brushed it off gently with his index finger. He was being consistently nice for once, hadn't yet become cold or distant. I smiled.

'I've seen enough of the non-existent Eiffel Tower. Are we too early for the Moulin Rouge?'

'That seedy place? Thankfully yes. 1889.'

'Well I have a better idea anyway,' I said with a smirk.

'Should I be worried?'

'Maybe. Let's find a haunt of the bourgeoisie.' We wandered along the nearby roads until I found the perfect looking bar. We entered and the Doctor removed his hat as I lowered my hood. It was dark, lit only by candles, and covered in a haze of smoke coming from tobacco pipes. Alongside the entirety of one green wall was a marble bar, behind which were shelves holding countless bottles of alcohol in all shapes and sizes. The room was slightly cramped, filled with small tables and assorted chaises longues, wing chairs, and pouffes. I led us to a table in the far corner with two wing chairs opposite each other. I took off my cloak and sat in the red velvet one nearest the wall and the Doctor took the jade-coloured leather one. A waiter came up to us. 'Une bouteille d'Absinthe s'il vous plait' I said to him.

'I'm sorry?' He replied, looking confused. 'Do you speak French?'

The Doctor laughed at my expression and said 'I believe we would like your finest bottle of Absinthe please.'

'Why couldn't he understand my French? Why was he speaking English?' I asked after the waiter had returned to the bar.

The Doctor chuckled. 'I was wondering when you'd notice. The TARDIS translates almost every language in the universe. He wasn't speaking English, the TARDIS had translated the French for you. Your speaking French to him counteracted that and would have sounded like nonsense to him.'

'The TARDIS? That can't be possible!' I said in disbelief.

'Did you think that the Peladonians spoke English then? Russians? Everybody on the Orion Express?' He laughed again. 'Most of our friends were speaking Mandarin!'

'Now I know you're lying!' I replied.

'It's true. I believe that China is already growing in influence in your time. It was the leading power in the 22nd Century.'

The waiter returned with a bottle filled with a dark green liquid, two short-stemmed glasses, two absinthe spoons, a dish of sugar cubes, and a carafe of water with ice cubes in a chamber at the bottom. 'Thank you,' the Doctor said to the man who left with a bow. 'So... drowning our sorrows are we?' He said to me as he poured the green spirit into our glasses.

'I've heard it helps,' I replied, watching him place a sugar cube on each of our spoons, which he had placed atop our glasses, and slowly drip water from the carafe onto the sugar. 'You're quite an expert,'

'What did you think we did after the Eiffel Tower opened?' He looked at me and frowned. 'I'm willing to go along with this the once but the answer to life's problems isn't at the bottom of a bottle.'

'I know. But when in Paris...' Perhaps he was being so nice to me because of what had happened on the Orion Express. That did seem to make sense. I watched the Doctor add a drop at a time of water changing the Absinthe from clear to milky, wondering how long his genial nature would last. When he was satisfied with the Absinthe's appearance, he handed me a glass and held his own up.

'To Clementina,' he toasted.

'To Clementina,' I repeated dully. We sipped the Green Fairy which tasted far better than I'd expected. It was sweet from the sugar and had hints of herbal flavouring. It went down easily, which was what I most cared about.

'It will get easier, you know, won't always hurt so much,' the Doctor said softly.

I didn't want to think about Clementina now. I wanted to get drunk. 'It doesn't hurt, it's quite nice actually,' I replied, taking another sip of Absinthe. He didn't bother clarifying. He knew that I had deliberately evaded his words. 'I'm glad we didn't go to the future. I like putting on all these beautiful dresses and pretending to be elegant and seeing things that I could only read about before.' I took another sip of my drink. 'My future, that is. Is this your future or past?'

He studied me then smiled. 'Nobody has ever asked me that before. I suppose this is my future. Gallifrey is the oldest civilisation in the universe. I was born before your planet had even formed.'

'And what language are you speaking now? I mean, is the TARDIS translating Gallifreyish for me?'

'Gallifreyan,' he laughed. 'I'm speaking French. And so are you.' We'd finished our glasses so the Doctor filled them again and began his ritual of adding water to the sugar. 'Now it's my turn to ask the questions. Who are you, Rosaline Butler?'

'Your companion,' I replied without thinking. I blushed as soon as I realised. 'I mean..'

'I don't define you,' the Doctor interrupted. 'What about before you met me? You were still a traveller, were you not?'

'When I got the chance. I'm in Human Resources at a bank. Travelling, going to new places, is far more interesting.'

'Quite,' he replied, passing me my glass.

'How long have you been travelling in your TARDIS?'

'I don't know. A long time,' he replied with a faraway look in his eye. 'Timelords live a long time, you know. Imagine staying in one place for thousands of years.'

'I don't like staying in one place for more than a few weeks at most,' I said, trying to imagine what it felt like to have so much time to kill before Death claimed you for himself. I'd constantly travel too. 'Do all Timelords have TARDIS'?'

'No, they aren't really for public use.'

'How comes you have one then?'

'I borrowed her,' he said innocently, not quite meeting my eye.

'Oh right. So when are you planning on returning her?' I smirked.

'Er...well there's no rush really...drink up!' he said, downing his glass. I followed suit and passed him my glass for a refill. I was already beginning to feel a bit tipsy.

'Can Timelords get drunk like humans do?' I wondered aloud.

'I believe it's my turn to ask a question actually,' he replied. 'Do you feel safe with me?'

I looked into his light eyes and smiled. 'Completely.' I laughed. 'I don't know why – you have a knack for finding trouble but I still feel safe when I'm with you.'

'Finding trouble? Trouble finds me!' He wiggled his eyebrows. 'Makes it more interesting though, eh?' He passed me my third glass. There was still plenty of the bottle left.

'So _can _Timelords get drunk?' I repeated.

'I try not to make a habit of it,' he replied, studying his glass. 'The last time I drank Absinthe, I accidentally bumped the TARDIS into the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Only it wasn't leaning before then...'

'You're such a liar!' I laughed. 'The ground was too soft and the foundation inadequate.'

'Well they were hardly going to tell people that a police telephone box crashed into it,' he said with a wink.

The alcohol was loosening me up, melting away my worldly cares. 'You have so many stories. I suppose you must have seen so much'.

'I suppose I have,' he agreed. 'So much...'

'But you haven't been alone?'

'No. No, I've made many friends over the years.' He finished his glass in one, leaving me lagging behind again. I finished my own and winced. It was definitely better to sip this stuff.' He took my glass and began his ritual again, distractedly this time. He kept missing the spoon with the water or pouring more than a drop.

'Don't you still see them?' I asked almost tentatively.

'When there's so much to see, so many new people to meet?' he replied airily. He passed me my glass and held up his own again. 'Cheers.' He drank half the glass.

'So you just replace them? When will you replace me?' My drink tasted stronger this time.

He looked at me with so much intensity that soon I couldn't hold his gaze. 'They replace me. They leave.'

'Why?' I asked softly.

'I'm certain that it's my turn to ask the questions again,' he replied in a lighter tone. Repeating that habit of his where he changes the subject to suit him. 'Where do you want to go after Paris?'

I downed my drink. 'It's up to you. Why did Sarah Jane Smith leave?'

'That time it was me leaving. I had to return to Gallifrey and I couldn't take her with me. I had to take her home. Can't we talk about something else?'

'Alright,' I paused to watch him pour us more drinks. He seemed to be concentrating hard on not spilling the water. 'Why do you always distance yourself from me?'

'What?' He asked incredulously. Unfairly incredulous. He knew as well as I did that it was the truth.

'We'll talk about something then as soon as you don't like it you'll change the subject. I'll ask you something and you'll brush it off. You'll be fine with me then randomly start acting cold towards me. Why? And I want the truth, don't bother saying you don't do it or it's unintentional.'

He passed me my glass and downed his before saying, 'I do it because I'm afraid of getting close to you. I find myself getting close to you and stop myself before it's too late.'

'Your friend, who gave you the yellow cravat, what happened to her?' I whispered, scared of how he would react. He didn't react. He kept his face perfectly neutral as he poured himself another drink. I quickly finished mine so that he'd fill my glass too I was feeling very tipsy now. He remained silent and I was convinced that he wouldn't answer. I tried to think of something else to say, to change the conversation as easily as he did but my mind had gone blank. I just sat in silence, watching him pour our drinks. When he had finished he handed me mine and ignored his own.

'She died,' he said simply but quietly. I didn't say anything. What could I say? He ran his hands through his hair and looked at me. 'I know that I shouldn't hide things from you. You've certainly earned my trust. But that's just me, Rosie. I don't open up to anybody. Not even myself most of the time.'

'You don't have to talk about it, I understand,' I said, badly regretting bringing it up yet burning with curiosity. 'I'm sorry.'

'I was summoned to Gallifrey again. They pulled me back leaving Peri in grave danger. I could have prevented it if they had left me alone. They weren't even sorry.' His eyes seemed to glisten with tears for a moment but he took a sip of Absinthe and the tears disappeared. 'And they wonder why I never stay on that backwards planet,' he said bitterly.

'Why were you summoned back?' I asked.

'Ha! To be put on trial under false charges. Then to be offered presidency again.'

'Presidency?' I exclaimed. 'You could've been president of Gallifrey?'

'Could've. Have been. Politics isn't my thing. I'd have to stay put for starters...' He was trying hard to talk lightly, to brush off the revelation about Peri. It made sense really. Why he didn't want me to travel with him at first, why he was so against me volunteering myself to be taken back in Battle. His friend had died and he was unable to prevent it. It had hurt him more than he'd ever admit to me. 'Ever fancied being president? Well, Prime Minister, I suppose,' he asked me, snapping me out of my contemplations.

'When I was younger. I'd get to travel the world for free and meet celebrities and stuff. But I don't think I have thick enough skin. If I read a tabloid and the front page was making fun of my nose or calling me Dumbo, I'd be reluctant to leave my house again.'

'Dumbo?' The Doctor asked quizzically.

'Cartoon elephant with massive ears,' I replied, amused at this small proof of his alien roots. 'Imagine if I rang my mother now and told her I was in 19th Century Paris, drinking copious amounts of Absinthe with an alien who didn't know about Dumbo... she'd have me sectioned! This should feel so surreal but it really doesn't.'

'Good,' the Doctor replied. 'There's nothing wrong with your ears. Or your nose.' He leaned closer to me and tapped my nose. 'At least you know it's not going anywhere. I didn't think much of my third one,' He stroked his own nose. 'This one isn't too bad, is it?'

I studied him through drunken eyes. His nose was quite small, there was nothing wrong with it. His eyes were an unusual shade of blue. They were very light and often sparkled, sometimes with mischief, sometimes when he was being egotistical, sometimes when he was happy. I'd loved his eyes ever since I first looked into them. They showed emotions so clearly when he allowed them to and they held the whole universe in them. His ears were barely visible beneath his mass of curly blonde hair. I loved his hair too. He was almost like a poodle with all those curls. His nose... I could tell the truth, of course, or, and this idea seemed more appealing, I could attempt to deflate his ego a little bit. 'It's okay, I suppose,' I answered nonchalantly. 'What do you think?'

'A vast improvement on other noses I've had. This whole regeneration is a vast improvement. My best yet, I'd say.' He smiled pompously and winked.

I put my head in my hands. 'Your modesty is certainly an attractive trait,' I replied sarcastically.

'Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, you know,' he replied.

'But it's _a _form of wit, nonetheless,' I returned, finishing my drink.

'I suppose it's the best a human can hope to achieve,' he muttered, pouring us more Absinthe.

'Oh, you think you're so superior! You, the TARDIS thief, running because he can't bear to spend time with his own people. Guess Timelords aren't so great either...' I smiled sweetly.

He thrust my glass at me. 'You're very good. I, of course, am the exception. A tolerable Timelord.'

'Tolerable to yourself, perhaps.'

'Actually, I don't tend to get on with myself. My second and third incarnations couldn't stand each other. I didn't think much of my second self either, really...' he trailed off, eyes showing that he was reminiscing. I could tell that the alcohol was affecting him too; he'd never talk about his past so willingly otherwise.

'You mean you've met yourself? Surely that's against the laws of time or whatever?'

'Hmm? It's not recommended but it happens. It's alright for a Timelord because we understand time. It would send anybody else insane.'

'Tell me some of your adventures,' I asked him, deciding to take advantage of his new talkative side. So we spent God knows how long drinking Absinthe (the first bottle was soon replaced by a second) and talking about the Doctor's adventures in space and time.

'In my last regeneration (which was far too sweet for my liking, not me at all), I found myself with a full TARDIS. Teagan and Adric were still with me and now I was joined by Nyssa. The Master had first killed her step-mother and now her father and destroyed her planet. She had nowhere else to go. Those were happy days, Rosie, some of my happiest. My little family. Nyssa was very clever, Teagan was a pain in the neck, and Adric,' he paused to take a large gulp of his drink, 'Adric was always up to mischief. But we were a good team. I often think of them.'

'Where did they go?' I asked, captivated by his tales.

'Nyssa left first. We'd been on a space station, Terminus, that served as a corrupt hospital. She insisted on staying to ensure it functioned properly. Teagan left because she tired of travelling.' He looked at me and sighed. 'She couldn't bear the deaths anymore.'

I swallowed the lump in my throat, brought on by the emotion in the Doctor's voice. 'What about Adric?'

'My dear Rosie, how I wish I could shelter you from all the evils of the universe. Adric died saving your planet. Cybermen planned to crash a freighter with an antimatter engine into Earth, destroying all life and Adric was still on board. I couldn't get to him.'

'But he stopped the ship from crashing?'

'It still crashed. That meteor that wiped out your dinosaurs, that was no meteor. It was a freighter with Adric still inside. He managed to fix the controls so that it jumped back in time 65 million years but he couldn't do enough to stop it from crashing. He was the first to go, not Nyssa.' He finished off another glass.

'At least he didn't die in vain,' I offered weakly. The Doctor smiled in gratitude but said nothing. I sipped my Absinthe and studied his face for answers. So much death yet he was still going. Hiding all the pain and sorrow, fooling anyone he encountered into believing that he's fine. I was brought out of my thoughts by a waiter telling us that the bar was closing. The Doctor settled the bill and we left. Outside was bitterly cold, even in my drunken state (and having stood up and left the establishment I had noticed that I was in a very drunken state) and I pulled my cloak close around me, thankful for the fur lining. A light dusting of snow covered the streets, making it slightly slippery. The Doctor put his arm around me, improving my balance, and led us back to the TARDIS. 'Are you sure we're going the right way?' I asked when we'd be walking for what seemed like an eternity. I remembered the catacombs in Rome.

'Yes, I'm sure,' he replied indignantly. 'We just weren't that close to it.' We turned a corner and I could see our home waiting at the end of the road. 'See!' He said triumphantly. The cafés were all closed and the road was deserted. It must have been very late. The sky was moonless and the gas lamps illuminating the pathways were not much use. Soon enough we were at the TARDIS and the Doctor unlocked the door. Inside was blindingly bright compared to the dark of the candle-lit bar and streets devoid of electric lighting. 'We could go to the Louvre tomorrow,' the Doctor suggested. 'That, at least, exists already.'

'Sure,' I replied, squinting in the brightness. The Doctor went to the console and turned a dial, causing the lights to dim. 'That's better, thanks.'

He walked up to me and lifted my chin so I was looking at him. 'So have you quenched your thirst for drowning your sorrows?'

'I suppose so,' I replied.

'Thank goodness, because I think I'm too old for this. More susceptible to the effects of alcohol than I used to be.' He frowned. 'But not as susceptible as you, it appears. You're shaking.'

'I'm just cold,' I replied honestly. He wrapped his arms around me, donating body heat. He was very warm, I noted happily. 'How are you so warm?'

'Timelord,' he replied. As he always did. I rolled my eyes but didn't complain. 'Come on, bedtime, I think.' He pulled away from me, ignoring my protest and led me to my bedroom, keeping me from falling when I stumbled and laughing as I banged into walls. Then banged into walls himself. 'Goodnight,' he said when we reached my room.

'Goodnight,' I murmured. In my room, I tried to change into my bedclothes but couldn't manage to undo my dress. The most I achieved was falling to the floor. I decided to just stay there for a while. Shortly, there was a soft knock on my door. I groaned in acknowledgement.

The door opened to the Doctor saying, 'I brought you some... what are you doing on the floor?' He was holding a glass and a pitcher of water, which he put on my dressing table before helping me to my feet.

'I couldn't get this stupid dress off,' I replied, attempting to find the zip again.

'I'm no expert, but I think you might be going about it wrong,' the Doctor laughed.

'Please help me,' I begged.

'That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me,' he said awkwardly.

'You must have seen hundreds of girls naked! Just unzip me, I can manage from there. You won't see anything indecent,' I promised.

'Well therein lies your problem. You won't find a zip on that dress. You'd tied it with these ribbons.' He loosened the bows at the back of my dress and I felt the corset loosen. I got my arms out of the sleeves with partial difficulty then put a hand on the Doctor's shoulder to steady myself as I stepped out of the gown. He looked very uncomfortable and it amused me.

'Why are you so uncomfortable?' I asked, giggling. I was standing in front of him in nothing but my bra and knickers.

'I'm not' he lied.

I decided to be cruel and lean forward to kiss him on the cheek. 'Thank you for today. And for saving me from this monstrous dress. Goodnight.' His face was impassive but the red tinge on his cheeks betrayed him. He was looking behind me, trying desperately to avoid looking at the wrong bit of me.

'Goodnight,' he said to my bathroom door before quickly leaving. I collapsed onto my bed, not bothering with my bedclothes.

That night my dreams were far too vivid. I was falling through space in a craft heading for Earth. I was falling down the centre of the Orion Express. I was killed by some unknown evil as the Doctor watched from a courtroom. I was shot in front of the Winter Palace. I was thrown through the windshield of Bessie. Strangled to death by Eliseo. My throat was slit by the Master. I screamed but no sound came out. I woke up gasping and looked at my phone. Half nine in the morning. Paris. I gingerly felt my throat but there was no fresh cut there. My head was tender but I had expected to be suffering from the worst hangover of my life. I appeared to have avoided that somehow. I poured myself a glass of water from the pitcher the Doctor had left and finished it in one. My headache disappeared immediately, leaving me free to think on the night and my dreams. By the time the Doctor had knocked on my door, my mind was made up. He came in with a tray full of French delicacies: pain au chocolat, hams, cheese, fresh bread, grapes, a pitcher of orange juice, and a single white rose in a small vase. It was almost like he was trying to make it hard for me. He put the tray on the bedside table that wasn't occupied by the water and sat on the edge of my bed.

'I may have cheated,' he said with that twinkle in his eye. 'I popped out to one of the cafés for the food. How are you feeling?'

'Fine,' I replied, pouring myself an orange juice. 'I thought I'd feel like death warmed up but I don't even feel like I'd been drinking.'

'Ah, yes, that might have been my doing. I put some anti-hangover medicine in the water.'

That explained how my headache had gone so quickly then. 'You drugged me?' I asked with a raised eyebrow.

'With the best intentions. Croissant?' He helped himself to some bread and added some cheese.

'Why the rose?' I asked, eyeing the flower.

'I don't know. I thought it might make the tray look more appealing. A child was selling them and I er...'

'You what?' I asked, wondering why he suddenly looked so sheepish.

'I may have bought her entire ware.'

'Where are they?'

'I left them in the kitchen. I didn't want to suffocate you with roses.' He smiled but my mind flashed back to Eliseo's suffocating hands.

'I want to go home,' I blurted out. Then I did what any mature adult would do and buried myself in the covers.

'What?' the Doctor replied. I could tell by his tone that he had heard. It was more hurt than questioning. It pained me to go on, knowing I was only going to hurt him more but I had to. The Absinthe may not have shown me the Green Fairy, but it had shown me reality. I had to go home. The Doctor pulled my duvet off of my face and looked at me in confusion. He, for once, said nothing though, only waited for my explanation.

'I want to go home,' I repeated. It was easier than explaining.

'Any particular reason?' He asked, trying to keep a neutral tone.

'I had so many dreams last night. I was Adric, Peri, Clementina, Alexei, myself. All dying. Over and over. You suggested it would be dangerous but...' I sighed and a tear escaped my eye and rolled down my cheek. 'I've nearly been killed twice already. I know it was my fault; I shouldn't have left Battle or gone off alone with Eliseo but, up until now, I'd never been threatened with death. When Alexei died you told me it wouldn't get easier and you were right. As always. But I didn't expect death to be so commonplace. I wouldn't be able to cope with that. So I want to leave now, while it's still early, before you allow yourself to get close to me, before my inevitable leaving is too hard on us.'

He was motionless for a long time but I didn't feel obliged to break the silence first. Finally he said frostily, 'so you listened to my warnings and ignored them and now you've had a change of heart? Because not ignoring them would be too sensible? Easier? Because giving me hope and snatching it back is more fun?'

'I didn't know about the others then!' I shouted. Then I took a deep breath and continued calmly. 'You didn't tell me about Adric or Peri. You promised you'd look after me but you can't. If I hadn't have scratched Eliseo's face I would be dead right now. You couldn't look after me then. You can't always protect me. What if you'd met me, instead of Peri, earlier? I'd have been left on a strange planet because the Timelords wanted you back. But that didn't happen. That was her misfortune.' I furiously wiped the tears from my face. I didn't want to look this weak. 'If you'd have told me about them, I would never have agreed to come with you. You deceived me.' I got up and left the room, realising too late that I was still only in my underwear. At least that decided my destination for me. I headed straight for the wardrobe and was met by a shock inside. An emerald gown with golden embroidery, placed over a chair. Its beauty easily surpassed that of yesterday's dress. Placed on top of it was a note.

_I found this in a nearby shop. You'll be the best dressed woman in the Louvre today. I'm afraid there's no zip but I'm sure you'll manage. - Doctor_

It made me feel a thousand times worse. He'd gone out of his way on so many occasions for me and how did I repay him? Shouting at him, demanding to leave him – even after all he'd said last night about being left alone –, and basically blaming his friend's death on him. I moved further into the wardrobe and buried myself in a heap of clothes. He was better off without me. He deserved so much better. I was doing him a favour. I didn't know how long I'd been in there but eventually I felt calm enough to return to my room to pack. I found a simple black dress in the wardrobe that I donned before returning to my room. I was surprised to find the Doctor there still. He was in the exact same place. I must have been gone for at least an hour but clearly he hadn't noticed. He jerked his head up at my return.

'I... killed Peri,' he said softly.

'No you didn't,' I replied firmly. 'The Timelords did, remember. It wasn't your fault.'

'I led her to Thoras Beta. I am responsible.'

'You're not. She might have died back home, crossing the road, if she hadn't have been with you. I'm sorry, I snapped. That's another reason I have to go.' He looked at me with calculating eyes. 'You deserve so much better than me,' I said softly. Hearing myself say it aloud confirmed to me that it was true but still hurt me. 'I always snap at you, shout at you, demand so much. And all you do is give. Taking me to Peladon, the Orion Express, watching the films with me, taking me to Paris, breakfast in bed, that dress in the wardrobe... You gave me the cravat even though it means so much to you and what did I do? I ruined it, covered it in my blood. Find somebody else, please. Somebody who will appreciate you as you should be. Who won't just take constantly and always demand more. Who won't leave you.'

'You're so stupid,' he said, getting up. 'Your mind is so very warped.'

'What?' I said in surprise. I was not expecting him to say that.

'You'll realise.' He stood in front of me and looked down to me. 'You know full well that I'm not perfect. Why pretend now? I'll take you back home. You should pack.' He brushed past me as he left the room.

Not perfect? I already knew that. He was egotistical and...and what else? He was cold but only to protect himself from getting close to me. He admitted that last night. That was clearly one of the smartest things he'd ever done, since I was now leaving him. He'd soon find someone else, someone better, and move on from me. He was loud but that wasn't exactly a major flaw. He was completely mad but that just made me like him more. Not perfect. He pretty much was.

I hurriedly packed, leaving behind the gowns and clothes that I'd taken from his wardrobe. His new companion might need them. I went to the kitchen before going to the control room but there were no roses there. That confused me. Did he lie about them? But why would he do that? I made my way to the console room, and as I entered I saw why the kitchen was bare. There were roses strewn across the console, poking out of the roundels, covering the floor. A mixture of white and red. The effect was beautiful yet inexplicably filled me with sadness. He saw me looking around.

'I thought I'd redecorate,' he said with a pathetic attempt at a smile. I returned it. Equally pathetic. He turned back to the console and set the TARDIS in motion. Far too soon it came to a halt. 'Kings Hill,' he declared. I flicked the switch to turn on the scanner and found that we'd landed just outside the Golf Club. About a ten minute walk from my house. I'd need that walk.

'How long have I been gone?'

'Two weeks,'

'Crazy two weeks...' How to say goodbye? I launched myself at him and he pulled me into a tight embrace. 'I won't ever forget you,' I could have asked him to come and visit but I knew that would never happen. It isn't his style. And it wouldn't be fair on him either.

'Take care, Rosaline. Try not to get yourself into too much trouble.'

I laughed. 'Perhaps you should take your own advice.' I held onto him for a bit longer then we released each other and I went to leave. He stopped me and pressed a red rose into my hand before releasing me a final time. I left in silence. I watched the TARDIS disappear, taking the Doctor from my life.

When I reached my road, I noticed police cars outside my house. I looked at them in confusion. I unlocked my door and found my mother and father in my living room, sitting next to a police officer. When my parents saw me, they looked like they had seen a ghost. 'What's going on?' I asked, puzzled.

'Where have you been!' My mother exclaimed, standing up to get a better look at me.

'Paris, you know that. I just prolonged my trip for a little while.'

'Two years is hardly a little while, Rosaline,' my father replied in a tired voice.

Two years? _Not _two weeks. Did he do this on purpose, to make up for my hurting him and leaving? 'I... I lost track of time,' I managed to stutter. My mother slapped me round the face. I barely felt it. I was too busy thinking about how I would kill the Doctor if I ever saw him again.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N** – Don't worry, this story is only just beginning! Feel free to post ideas for people to see/ places to go :)

**Chapter Seven: Sense and Vulnerability **

I was a zombie.

I'd been home a year. It took a lot to brush my absence under the carpet. They couldn't get through to my phone since I'd taken the SIM card out on the Orion Express, there was no sign of me getting on the Eurostar, checking in to my hotel. I had told everybody that I had bumped into a friend in London and he had spontaneously decided to drive me to Paris. He had a home there so I decided to stay with him. I knew nobody believed me. There were so many gaps in my story and no evidence of my friend but since I was home safe and sound, and I wouldn't give any more information, there was nothing anybody could do but to drop the subject. My parents were angry to begin with, then emotional – wondering what could have happened to make me stay so silent – then angry again. Finally, they'd decided to pretend everything was normal. I'd had to find another job because my position had been filled in my absence. It hadn't been easy because prospective employers were wary of my two year absence and thought I would be unreliable. Eventually, I managed to find a job in a call centre for another bank and hoped to work my way up. My parents had been paying the mortgage on my house and my bills whilst I was gone, refusing to believe that I wouldn't come back, and so most of my pay check went to them and on bills. There was little left as it was, certainly not enough for holidays.

I thought about the Doctor constantly. Was I right to have left him? How was he getting on without me? Had he found somebody else? I was constantly miserable and felt so trapped. After three months, my parents had had enough of my non-responsive behaviour and sent me to a psychiatrist. I refused to speak to her. So, instead, they put me on antidepressants. My mother came round every morning and evening to force them down me. They only made me feel worse so my dosage was increased. Life was just a daily cycle of waking, taking drugs, eating, working, eating, taking drugs, and sleeping. It was all I knew. I felt like a zombie. The only emotions I had were when I thought of the life I'd left behind. The Doctor had ruined my life, of that I was sure. Yes, my life was fairly dull before I met him but I had my holidays, some friends, money. The Doctor took that away from me. Worse still, he showed me that there was a whole universe out there to explore. After seeing what I'd seen, how could day-to-day life ever be anything but bland and uninspiring? He offered me the whole universe but the price was too high for me.

I often thought about his other companions. They would have known the risks. Would have seen death first hand. But they didn't run away. Well, they left but they weren't as cowardly as me. Take Adric, he was brave till the last and yet I ran away after one bad night's sleep. I knew that my decision would haunt me for the rest of my life. I was still unsure as to whether it was the right decision to take – for either of us – because it did seem foolish to me to have left so soon yet I knew that prolonging it would have made it so much harder. I wished I had somebody to talk to about it. To gauge their opinion. My friends had mostly given up on me by now, sick of my ignoring calls and missing our arranged meetings. I couldn't ever tell my parents, and I refused to tell a stranger in a psychiatry office. I had nobody. I didn't even have it in me to cry anymore.

It was Christmas Eve. I got home from work slightly earlier than usual because, although it was a Saturday, people had better things to do with their day than banking. I was due round my parents the next morning and I was dreading it. It would be the first major family event since I'd gotten back and I'd be expected to be merry and talk with everybody and pretend everything was normal like my parents did best. I was sat in my living room thinking of all the ways to avoid Christmas. My mother came round, too soon for my liking, with my night's dosage of Fluoxetine. She kept hold of them because nobody trusted me with such strong medication. An action I greatly resented. I was fairly certain that Death would be more welcome to me tomorrow morning than Christmas. She was babbling on about the plans for tomorrow and how nice it would be to see the children again and how I was going to love the dinner. Food tasted like ash in my mouth so I doubted it. I just ignored her, staring blankly at a spot behind her, until she gave up and went home.

'What's the point in being alive if you aren't living?' The Doctor had once said. What indeed. I ran from my house. It was suffocating, overbearing. I was barefoot and without a coat but I didn't care. I walked for hours, my feet feeling like they were being stabbed over and over again. Eventually I made it to the Golf Club. I hadn't been aiming for it, my frozen feet just seemed to take me there without my being aware. I decided to walk round to where the TARDIS had dropped me off so many years ago. No, it had only been one year. I turned the corner and stopped in my tracks.

She was there. Her door opened and he walked out tentatively. I didn't move towards him, merely slumped against the nearest wall for support. He came to me instead.

'Hello,' was all he said. I looked up weakly. He was wearing that garish coat and the royal blue cravat. My Doctor. But slightly thinner and tired looking. It was obviously my mind playing tricks on me. The Fluoxetine was playing tricks on me. He crouched next to me and put his coat over me like a blanket. 'What's happened to you?' he softly asked. I turned to look at him but it was too painful. I had to quickly look away. It was a dream, he wasn't really there, his coat not really covering me.

'You came back,' I choked out in a hoarse whisper before being violently sick all over his coat. He picked me up and carried me to the TARDIS, placing me on my old bed. He left and returned with some water, which he forced me to drink then tucked me in.

'Get some sleep,' he said, stroking my hair. 'We'll talk later.'

He made to leave but I grabbed him. 'Don't leave me!' I begged. 'Don't ever leave me.' He looked at me sadly then took off his shoes and climbed into bed. I curled up to him, taking his hand so I would know that he was there.

I was nearly asleep when I heard him reply, 'never.'

I woke up with a start. I was being smothered. I began flailing to get free but strong arms held me to stop my movement. 'It's only me, remember?'

I knew that voice. My eyes found his and I relaxed. 'I thought I was being smothered.' My mind was clearer than it had been in months. I remembered and I knew that it hadn't been a dream. 'You drugged me again,' I stated.

'You were ill,' he replied. 'What had you been taking?' I hugged him so tight I thought I might break his ribs but he didn't complain, just hugged me back with the same ferocity.

'Fluoxetine,' I said into his chest. 'My parents made me.'

'What is that?'

'You're the Doctor!' I never wanted to let him go. I was showing how weak I really was once again. 'It's an antidepressant only it just made me feel worse.'

He separated us so that he could look at me. 'Antidepressant? Why were you taking that?'

'I told you: my parents made me.' I sighed. 'Come to my house, I'll explain everything. But I have to go before my mother calls round and sees that I've disappeared again.' I got out of bed and the Doctor followed suit. I made for the console room but he took my arm and led me to the wardrobe instead.

'Why are we going in here?' I asked in confusion.

'I need a new coat,' he replied in a faux reprimanding voice. 'And you need some shoes.'

Last night flashed back to me. 'Oh my God, I vomited on your coat. I'm so sorry. I'm making a habit of leaving bodily fluids on your clothes.'

'There are worse habits, I suppose.' He walked off to find a coat and I looked for some shoes. I found some black pumps in my size then decided to find a coat for myself. Instead I found the cloak I had worn in Paris. It brought back painful memories of why I had left but I donned it anyway. The Doctor had found a coat similar to his coloured one but in varying shades of blue instead. It brought out his eyes.

'You should be thanking me. I've forced you to improve your style,' I said when he returned to me.

He stroked my cloak and his eyes were distant. 'It's not the same,' he muttered. We left for my house and when we entered the console room I noted sadly that the roses had disappeared. We walked to my house in silence and, thankfully, there was no sign of my mother when we got there. It was still early.

'Tea? Coffee? Orange Juice?' I offered once I'd sat him in my living room. In response he pulled me down next to him.

'Talk,' he ordered.

Easier said than done. Where to start? How to tell it without sounding like a weak fool? 'Did you bring me back two years later deliberately to get back at me?' It seemed like the best place to start.

'Two years? It was two weeks!' He faltered. 'Wasn't it?'

'Does the TARDIS have an instructions manual? Because you really need to read it. How could I explain to my mother, my father, the _police, _why I'd been gone two years without ever contacting anyone?'

'I'm sorry, it was an accident. What did you tell them?'

'That I'd met a friend in London who drove me to Paris and I lived out there with him for two years. We all knew I was lying but there was nothing anybody could do so they just pretended it had never happened.'

'And you?'

'I came home to find myself jobless and in debt. I found a job, my wage went entirely on bills, and lived each day as it came.'

'What about the antidepressants?'

'I was stuck in a job I hated, hating myself for leaving you, hating you for bringing this upon me, hating my parents for not leaving me in peace. They got sick of it and sent me to a psychiatrist but I refused to talk to her so they drugged me up instead. I didn't want to take them but my mother comes round everyday to force me to. I was a zombie.'

'Nothing good can come from drugs like that,' the Doctor said angrily.

'I know that.' My voice cracked. 'You asked me what was the point in being alive if you weren't living and I wasn't living. I wanted to die.' The Doctor pulled me towards him in an embrace but didn't say anything. 'I don't know what I would have done last night if you hadn't have found me. I've been dreading today so much.'

'What's today?' he asked.

I looked at him strangely. 'Christmas,' I replied.

'Oh,' was all he could come up with.

'Why did you come back?'

'I didn't put up enough of a fight. Everyday I think about how I just let you go so easily. I left you alone, respected your wishes, for a year but I couldn't bear it any longer. I had to know if I could have changed your mind if I had tried.'

'I don't think you could have. I was so afraid and – you were right again – stupid. I needed to come back here. It made me realise...'

'Realise what?' he asked with eyes locked on mine.

'That I can't leave. I'd rather face a thousand near-death experiences by your side than stay here alone. If I die somewhere else in space or time, at least I'll have died living. Being here, I was waking up to be a step closer to meeting Death. In the TARDIS, I was waking up to feel alive.'

'You'll come back?' he breathed.

'If you'll let me.'

'Oh, I don't know. You're such a pest and my clothes aren't safe around you.' I hit him with a cushion. 'But I suppose you could return. There's no point wasting that flying lesson, after all.'

I laughed for the first time since I'd left the TARDIS. I was happier than I had been in so long. A knock on my door brought me back down to Earth. 'Oh God, that will be my mother,' I said, getting up.

I answered the door to a, 'Merry Christmas!' from my mother. I led her into the living room. 'Who is this?' she asked me when she had noticed the Doctor.

'Hello, I'm the Doctor,' he answered, holding out his hand.

She shook it hesitantly. 'Doctor who?'

'I'm Rosaline's Doctor.' His words caused a smile to grace my lips. _My _Doctor. 'I came to say that she won't be needing the Fluoxetine anymore.'

'On Christmas Day?' My mother said in disbelief. 'You're not Doctor Reed. I've never seen you before.'

'Rosaline's been seeing me privately,' he replied.

'That's right, he's my psychiatrist,' I said.

'You refused to see a psychiatrist,' my mother said suspiciously.

'Somebody at work recommended him to me. He's so friendly. He's helped me so much.'

'Well, come on, we have to get back to the turkey,' my mother said.

I quickly glanced at the Doctor then back to my mother. 'You go ahead, I just want to talk to the Doctor briefly. I'll be there soon.'

She looked set to argue but decided against it. 'If you're sure. See you soon then,' she said before letting herself out. I sighed in relief.

'I'll wait in the TARDIS, you can join me when you've finished celebrating Christmas,' the Doctor said.

'You don't seriously think I'm going round there, do you? Let's get out of here!'

He smiled. 'She'll be very angry when she realises you've lied.'

'I'll leave a note. Can you bring the TARDIS nearer to my house?'

'Yes. Why?'

'Because I'm going to pack for more than just a short break in Paris and I don't want to trek to the Golf Club.'

He smiled widely then suddenly frowned. 'You're not going to change your mind in a couple of days and demand to come back here again, are you? Because if you have any doubts, tell me now. You must be sure this time!'

'I am sure,' I insisted. 'I've seen what life I can have here. Travelling with you is my only option, I know that now.'

He visibly relaxed. 'Good. See you in a moment.' He swept out of the room.

I grabbed a notepad and pen from my coffee table and began to write my note. I wasn't really sure what to put and ended up with a feeble tale of moving back to Paris to find myself. I left instructions for my parents to sell the house and keep the money. I was about to leave when I decided to scrawl one last word on the page: _sorry. _It was insufficient to say the least. But it had to do. I went to my bedroom to begin packing and started at the sound of someone coming up the stairs. I spun around to see the Doctor entering the room.

'I let myself in. I hope you don't mind,' he replied to my unasked question. He settled himself on my bed and watched as I sorted through clothes and packed them into suitcases.

I paused to look at him. 'You've lost weight,' I commented.

'You look terrible,' he countered.

I opened my mouth to respond angrily but stopped when I glimpsed myself in the mirror behind him. Instead, I moved closer to the mirror. It felt like it was the first time I'd seen myself in so long. My hair was thinner, I'd lost weight too, huge bags lined my eyes, and I was so pale. I was still wearing the previous day's work clothes and they were crumpled from sleeping in them. I was so shocked that I couldn't think of anything to say for a long while. Finally I managed to say, 'You should be pleased. You don't like it when I look beautiful.'

'You didn't need to go to the other extreme just for my sake,' he replied, coming to stand behind me.

I looked at our reflections. A frail looking woman stood in front of me and behind her was a tired looking man. All in blue. Perhaps it reflected his emotions. He kissed the top of her head and the corners of her mouth moved upwards slightly.

'Never mind. There's a restaurant on the planet Xelia that has the best food I've ever encountered. We'll soon put you to rights again.'

'Trying to fatten me up?'

'You need it.'

'You don't,' I said, turning around to poke his stomach. He glared at me. 'Maybe a little. You're not as cuddly.'

'Cuddly? I have no desire to be cuddly!' Until that moment, I hadn't realised how much I missed his unnecessarily loud voice.

I finished packing one suitcase. 'Why don't you make yourself useful and take this to the TARDIS?' I said as I shut the case. He grumbled a little but did as I said. I went around the house, packing anything I deemed worthy. The Doctor returned and I gave him another suitcase to take and carried another myself.

'I'm not sure there's enough room for all this stuff,' the Doctor said, eyeing up the cases.

'I thought the TARDIS was infinite?' I replied.

'Even so... How long are you planning on staying for?'

'Forever.' He smiled and said no more. I followed him out of my house, locking it for the final time, and into my bedroom in the TARDIS. 'Where to now then?' I asked when we'd dropped my luggage.

'The Time Vortex, for the moment. I need to make some repairs to the console. Why don't you unpack?'

'Fun,' I replied dryly. He left me anyway and I started to put my clothes in the wardrobe and drawers. I noticed that the clothes that I'd left before had been placed in there. Soon, I got bored of unpacking and decided to have a shower and change out of my work clothes. The water was so refreshing; bringing me closer still to life. By the time I'd dressed, I pretty much felt like my old self again. The mirror showed me that I was still too thin with large bags under my eyes, and straggly hair but a hair doughnut and make up made it so I was now just too thin. I couldn't change that just yet. I decided to give up on unpacking and go find the Doctor instead. He was on the floor in the console room, surrounded by protruding wires. 'What are you doing to her?' I asked in exasperation.

'Repairs,' he replied simply without looking up. 'I've nearly finished. Why don't you find something to eat before you fade away?'

I glowered but he still hadn't looked up so it was pointless. I left for the kitchen without saying anything. I opened what I assumed to be a fridge and found it fully stocked. I decided to make a Christmas lunch of my own. When everything was prepared I pulled the Doctor from the console room, where he was just finishing up.

'Impressive,' he said when we entered the dining room. The room was lit by a combination of candelabras that I'd found in there and my own candles that I had packed. The table was laden with sandwiches, crisps, salad, and wine. He pulled out a chair for me and sat to my right.

'Merry Christmas,' I said.

'I never celebrate Christmas,' he replied with a frown. 'I suppose there is a first time for everything, however. Merry Christmas.' I poured us glasses of a red wine that I'd found in a full wine rack and the Doctor began piling food on his plate. I did the same and was soon tucking in. I could actually taste the food for once.

I held up my glass of wine. 'To running away,' I toasted.

The Doctor clinked my glass with his own. 'And living,' he added.

We continued eating and after a while I thought of something. 'Did you find someone before you came back for me?' I asked.

'Yes, I met Mel again,' he replied casually.

'Mel?'

'Yes, we met in the wrong order. Happens a lot when you time-travel. I knew I'd meet her for the first time – that's to say the first time for her – eventually.'

'What do you mean?' I asked, trying to get my head around what he was saying.

'Well, I first met her on Gallifrey when she was a witness at the trial. But, to her, she'd been travelling with me already at that point. When I met her shortly after you left, I experienced what she'd already experienced when I met her on Gallifrey. It's perfectly simple if you think about it.'

'If you say so. Why did she leave?'

'So that I could return to you. She convinced me that I should listen to my hearts and do it.'

'Did you say hearts plural?'

'Have I never mentioned my bivascular system?' he asked innocently.

'Not as such, no. Have you got two of anything else?'

'Ears, eyes, feet –' he began.

'I mean that you shouldn't have!'

'But I should have two hearts,' he replied.

I sighed and knew there was no point in carrying on. 'What was Mel like?'

'A nightmare at times. She made me drink carrot juice and exercise. Very inquisitive too. Often got us into trouble.'

'_She _got you in trouble? Are you sure it wasn't the other way round? You paying her back for the healthy lifestyle...'

'I hate carrot juice,' he said with distaste.

'At least it worked. You did lose weight,' I pointed out.

'That wasn't down to the carrot juice. I just didn't have much of an appetite. Especially after Mel left and I was alone again.'

'You didn't come straight to Kings Hill?'

'I...may have ignored her advice. I couldn't bring myself to return to you just yet,' he said, averting my gaze. 'She left six months ago. I was on my way to Barcelona – the planet, not the Spanish city – when I landed in Kings Hill. Obviously, the TARDIS had other ideas.'

'So she does like me,' I smiled. 'You're too stubborn for your own good,' I scolded him. I was surprised that my leaving had impacted him badly too and felt guilty for it.

'Hark at the pot calling the kettle black,' he shot back. I flicked a piece of sweetcorn at him in response but he caught it in his mouth. We both laughed. 'My Rosie has returned, I see,' he said.

'Whether you like it or not,' I grinned.

He stood up and pulled me out of my seat. 'A big part of Christmas is presents, is it not?'

'Yes,' I replied, wondering where he was going with this.

'Shall we make our presence known somewhere then?' he asked with a wink.

I groaned at his pun. 'Like where?'

'Anywhere! We do have the whole universe at our fingertips, my dear.' He pulled me to the console room and led me to the console. 'Input some coordinates. Any that come to mind.' I did as he said. He then instructed me as to which buttons and switches to press. The time rotor began moving.

'I'm flying the TARDIS!' I exclaimed. The Doctor chuckled. When we came to a halt he flicked the switch for the scanner. We were in a hallway of what looked like a spacecraft. It was deserted though.

'Shall we?' He beckoned me to the door. 'Oh, I forgot your present. Here,' he said presenting me with a key. 'TARDIS key. Do _not _lose it!'

'I'll guard it with my life. Thank you,' I put the key in my boot, expecting the Doctor to question my action but he only nodded in approval.

We walked along the corridor encountering nothing. We turned a few corners then eventually came to a window and a glass door. The Doctor looked out the window whilst I peeped through the door. 'I think we should get out of –'

'Doctor, look!' I interrupted. He came to my side.

'here,' he finished.

'What are they?' I asked, staring at the strange-looking aliens in the room.

'Sontarans,' he replied darkly. 'We've come aboard a ship in an invasion fleet. We should go,' he said tugging me away from the door. Suddenly the lights changed from white to red and began to flash.

'Alert, alert. Intruders in sector 8-A-3. All units mobilise.'

'What do we do?' I shouted over the alert, which seemed to be on repeat.

'Run,' the Doctor replied, grabbing my hand and leading us back in the direction of the TARDIS. We turned a corner to find our way blocked by Sontarans with very large guns. 'Ah,' the Doctor said.

One of them stepped forward as the alarm stopped. 'I am General Storp of the Sixth Sontaran Battle Group. State your identities.'

'I am the Doctor and this is Rosaline. Excuse us, we're rather in a hurry.' General Storp aimed his gun at the Doctor. 'On the other hand, we aren't in too much of a rush.'

'What is your purpose on our ship? Are you spies?'

'We arrived quite by chance. How's the war with the Rutans going?' The rest of the Sontarans aimed their guns at the Doctor. 'My money is still on them, you know.'

'Doctor, perhaps now isn't the best time to antagonise them,' I whispered.

'You will come with us,' Storp said, pushing us back the way we'd come.

'If you insist,' the Doctor replied. We were led back to the room we'd peeked in but now it was empty. It was fairly small, like a seminar room, with a computer screen taking up one wall and a floor-to-ceiling window on another. We were shoved roughly into seats at a desk and our guard kept their guns aimed at us. 'That's hardly necessary,' the Doctor said, gesturing to the guns. 'Where's the honour in shooting unarmed civilians?'

'You are trespassers,' Storp replied. 'And a threat until we discover otherwise.'

'Guilty until proven innocent? That's hardly fair!' the Doctor exclaimed.

'Stop antagonising them! I said again, more forcefully this time.

'You should listen to the puny female, Doctor,' Storp said.

'Puny?' I repeated angrily. 'Why don't we test that?'

'It is a known fact that females are inferior in all species. There are no female Sontarans. We are the superior species.'

'How do you reproduce then?' I asked, curiosity outweighing my fear.

'They're a clone race,' the Doctor answered.

'How is it that you are so knowledgeable about Sontarans?' Storp demanded.

'I've had the great misfortune of meeting several Sontarans in my time.'

'You must be a Rutan spy,' Storp stated.

'Must I really? That's news to me.'

'What other reason would you have for infiltrating this ship?'

'Wrong place at the wrong time, really. It's Rosaline's fault, of course. Muddled the directions. She's only female, after all. We took a left turn instead of a right, easily done. We'll get out of your hair – or lack of – so you can get back to your war.'

'Silence!' Storp shouted as I glared at the Doctor. 'You are clearly hiding the truth. You will stay here until you are ready to speak. Storp and his troops left the room and I heard the lock click. I stood up and walked to the window. Outside were numerous spaceships in every direction. This was obviously what the Doctor meant when he said invasion fleet. I turned to face him.

'You couldn't just shut up, for once, could you?' I said venomously.

'It wouldn't have made a difference,' he replied lightly. 'The Sontarans are a warrior race. They think only in militaristic terms. They are so consumed with the war that they cannot begin to imagine that we are not connected to it.'

'I'm sure you didn't help,' I grumbled.

'That's enough hanging around, I think. Let's go.'

'The door is locked,' I replied.

'So we'll unlock it.' he said, as if it was obvious. He reached into his pocket, pulled something out and pointed it at the door. I heard the lock click again. He opened the door and turned to give me a look of triumph mixed with an unsaid 'see, that wasn't difficult.'

'What is that?' I asked, pointing at the thing in his hand.

'My sonic screwdriver. It is very good at opening doors. Come on, before they return.' We left the room and headed back towards the TARDIS. The Doctor stopped us at each corner and peeped around the wall to make sure the coast was clear first. When he looked around the corner that would lead us to the TARDIS he said, 'Oh dear, slight problem.'

'Sontarans guarding the TARDIS?' I guessed.

'And trying to break in. At least that's an impossibility. I suppose this calls for a diversion.'

'We could just walk up to them and ask to be let in?'

'Don't be absurd. We'd be shot on sight. No, that won't do. Let's explore the ship and see if we can find anything useful to aid us.' We, once again, returned the way we'd originally come but this time we managed to go further than our makeshift cell.

'Sontarans can't be very smart. They left us in a room with only a lock stopping us from escaping. No wonder they haven't won their war.'

'The lock was very complex. We wouldn't have been able to pick it without my sonic screwdriver.'

'Even so, surely they could spare one guard on the door.'

'Are you really complaining?'

'No, just seems stupid.'

'I don't think Sontarans are used to having prisoners. Their war is usually on a battlefield to the death. There's no honour in taking prisoners. Look, let's try in here.' He'd stopped outside a metal door and a tug on the handle showed that it, too, was locked. The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver and unlocked it. We entered what appeared to be a storeroom. There were several of the Sontaran guns stacked up. 'Meson Guns.'

'Are we meant to shoot our way to the TARDIS?' I asked doubtfully. I couldn't imagine myself shooting anything; even a sexist alien with a head that resembled a potato.

'I'm very adverse to guns. There must be a better option.'

'Well, we should probably take a couple anyway. The Sontarans don't have to know that we wouldn't shoot.'

'That's certainly true,' he replied, picking up two guns and passing me one. 'I wonder when we are...'

'Never mind that, let's just get out of here. You give me free rein to go anyway and I bring us here. Not exactly what I had in mind.'

'You weren't to know. You couldn't possibly expect to be as a skilled as me at piloting the TARDIS. Come on, I believe we still have ancient Egypt to get to.' We left the storeroom and walked further into the ship. Suddenly there was a deafening bang and we were thrown to the ground.

'What was that?' I said, panicked.

'I can't be certain but I believe that we have been targeted by the Rutans. We must get back to the TARDIS immediately.' He helped me to my feet and led us back to the corridor that held the TARDIS.

'The coast is clear! The Sontarans must have gone to attack the Rutans,' I exclaimed.

'I'm not so sure,' he replied. 'I can't imagine that they'd leave their station when there would be plenty of other Sontarans to deal with the Rutan threat.' He looked around suspiciously. 'Only one way to find out.' He rounded the corner and began towards the TARDIS with me following close behind. We were nearly at the door when two Sontarans jumped out from behind the TARDIS and opened fire. The Doctor pushed me against the wall and shielded me. Then crumpled. He'd been hit. I crouched down to check his pulse, praying that he was still alive. I couldn't find a pulse.

'We can't shoot the female,' one Sontaran said to the other.

'No. We shall take her to Commander Styk for interrogation,' the other replied.

I looked up from the Doctor's body to find his murderers closing in on me. Without really thinking, I picked up the Meson gun and, before they realised what was happening, shot them both. They collapsed to the ground, unmoving, green fluid oozing from where they'd been hit. I returned my attention to the Doctor. Maybe Timelords didn't have pulses in the same place as humans. I laid my head on his chest listening for the heartbeat that wasn't there. It was hard to hear anything over my own pounding heart anyway. It seemed that my heart was now beating enough for the both of us. I hit him feebly, unsure of what I aimed to achieve by it. 'I need to get him back to the TARDIS,' I thought. With great effort, and shaking hands, I managed to drag him to the TARDIS door. I fished in my boot for the key then unlocked the door. I dragged him into the console room and shut the door, trying not to dwell on the reality of the situation. I ran to the console and tried my hardest to replicate the dematerialisation sequence. 'We need to get to somewhere safe!' I implored the TARDIS. I pressed the final button and we set off – albeit it very unsteadily. Soon we stopped and a glance at the scanner showed that we had stopped in the Time Vortex. I sighed in relief. 'Thank you,' I said, patting the console.

I turned my attention to the Doctor. 'This is all my fault! Why did I have to take us to a Sontaran ship?' I decided against moving him from the floor, doubting that I'd be able to get him on a bed. I put my head to his chest again but there was still no heartbeat. 'What do I do?' I asked the room desperately. Would CPR work on him? I slapped his face as hard as I could, praying for a response. He shot up, sending me flying off of him.

'Why did you do that?' he demanded angrily, rubbing his cheek.

I felt like I'd been holding my breath since he'd been shot and was now releasing it. I flew at him and, unthinkingly, pressed my lips to his. I realised what I was doing and was about to pull away, embarrassed, when I felt him respond passionately. It was the most intense kiss I'd ever experienced. I gently pulled away when I began to feel light-headed. 'You were dead!' I cried, hitting his chest again. I looked up at him and saw such a tender look in his eye. He put a hand to my cheek.

'I shut down my systems to protect myself. I'm alright, look.' He showed me the spot where he'd been hit. His shirt was singed but there was no flesh wound.

'You need to stop pulling this Timelord shit on me,' I huffed.

'I'm not so sure. If a kiss like that is my punishment, I might have to pull "Timelord shit" more often.' He had that twinkle in his eye. I glared at him, fuming still. 'You did really hurt my cheek,' he said in an obvious attempt at getting my sympathy.

'You stopped your hearts.' I reminded him coldly. 'It woke you up, didn't it?' His cheek was very red. I'd feel guilty if I wasn't so mad. 'Besides, I didn't know what else to do.'

'Next time, chuck water on me or something,' he grumbled. He side-stepped me and walked to the console. He glanced at the scanner. 'How did we get into the Time Vortex?'

'I brought us here. We couldn't stay on that ship; it might have been blown to pieces at any moment.'

'You got us here by yourself?' he asked in disbelief.

'I think the TARDIS might have given me a lot of help but yeah. I think I got most of it right.'

He walked back up to me and pushed my fringe off of my face. 'Rosaline Butler, you are extraordinary. Nobody has ever piloted her single-handedly before.'

'The things I do for you,' I said, repeating something he'd said before Paris. He chuckled and kissed me again, far more softly this time but, judging from the butterflies, equally as pleasant.

When we broke apart, he said, 'You only kissed me out of relief, didn't you?'

'I didn't really think it through,' I admitted. 'But I'm glad I did. I'm wondering why I didn't do it before, now.'

'I never thought you'd see me that way.' He stroked my cheek.

'You mean you've thought about it before?'

'I may have been a bit untruthful in Paris.' He stepped back from me, suddenly fidgety. 'I kept distancing myself from you because I was feeling something I'd never felt for a human before. I realised it when the Master had you hypnotised. I realised how much I'd actually cherished our evenings together in that inn. And then when you were with Flint...'

I grinned. 'You got jealous?'

'Jealous? Certainly not! I just...' he trailed off, unable to think of feasible lie. It suddenly all made sense. He'd started randomly acting cold around me after Battle. And whenever I came back from being with Eliseo he would become off with me. I'd been completely clueless. I wondered if it would have changed my decision to leave, if I'd have known, but decided that it would have just made it harder rather than prevented it. But now I was here to stay... And I think feelings were beginning to form just before Paris. The seeds had been sown, it had taken the watering of the Meson Guns for them to grow. I'd always felt safe in his arms, now I wanted to stay in them forever.

'Eliseo knew,' I suddenly remembered.

'Knew what?'

'He thought that I was snubbing him because of you. Maybe subconsciously that is why I did it, I don't know. He thought it was obvious that there was something between me and you though.'

'Not as stupid as he looked then.'

I rolled my eyes, smiling, and closed the gap that he'd created, wrapping my arms around him. He did the same, keeping me secure. 'I'd put my limit at 10 years,' I mumbled into his chest.

'Hmm?'

'A ten year age difference. Not 900. You're lucky that you look good for your age.' He chuckled. I stroked his red cheek. It was beginning to bruise. 'Maybe we should put some ice on your cheek. I'm sorry for hitting you.'

'I'm sorry for being in the way of your fist,' he replied.

'My palm, actually.'

'I'm sorry for playing dead and scaring you. I'll try not to do it again.' He kissed the top of my head. 'Perhaps _I_ should choose our destination next time?'

'I think that would be best,' I replied humbly. 'Come on, let's do something about your cheek before it starts swelling. Your head is big enough as it is.'

'Charming!' He took my hand and led me away, towards the kitchen. 'I sincerely hope this isn't the first in a series of cases of domestic abuse...'

I pushed him lightly. 'Can we go back to Paris? I want to wear that beautiful dress you got me.'

'Only if you promise not to leave again,' he replied.

'I promise. I wonder how long it will take us to get there this time...'

As we entered the kitchen, one thing crossed my mind: I was no longer a zombie.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: All's Nice in Love and War**

We'd spent the rest of the day curled up on a chaise longue in the library, reading from his never-ending book collection. All things considered, this had been my best Christmas to date. We left briefly to eat a small dinner but returned when we had finished. The Doctor forced me to go to bed after my head drooped onto my book for the third time so I lay in bed a while thinking about him. It was strange; I was in a relationship with somebody from a different species. From a different time. That wasn't the strange thing though. What was strange was that I was completely indifferent to the fact that he had two hearts and the ability to cheat death. I didn't see him as a Timelord, an alien. I only saw him as the Doctor. _My _Doctor. And I loved it.

The next morning found me being woken by the usual knock on my door. He entered with a tray of breakfast things, as always, and a white rose.

'You don't have to knock,' I told him.

'Perhaps you are not versed in the art of politeness, but I am,' he replied, putting the tray on my bedside table and getting in my bed.

'I can be polite. Thank you for bringing me breakfast,' I said, kissing his still slightly bruised cheek.

'You should be bringing me breakfast in bed,' he said, stroking his cheek.

'You're really going to milk this, aren't you?'

'Milk?' He looked over to the tray and picked up a small jug of milk.

I groaned. 'Never mind.' I reached over him and picked up a croissant from the tray. 'I don't even know where your bedroom is so I couldn't bring you breakfast in bed anyway.' He was spreading jam on a slice of toast and didn't reply. I couldn't help but wonder why he was so secretive about the room but knew better than to pursue it. 'So, are we going to Paris today?'

'That's the plan,'

'That doesn't mean anything,' I said. 'I bet we end up on Mars or something.'

'Mars?' he scoffed. 'So little faith. You bet, you say? Perhaps a little wager is order then, hmm?'

'What are the stakes?' I asked, intrigued.

'If we get to Paris on the first attempt...' his eyes sparkled, 'you have to be nice to me for the entire trip. Words and actions.'

'And if I win?'

'You can choose our next destination.'

Only being _nice_? I suppose that meant no groaning at his puns, goading him, reacting to his arrogant remarks... I wasn't sure I could handle a whole day of that. 'Our next two destinations,' I bartered. 'And you have to cook dinner for a week.'

'Deal.' He held out a hand and I shook it.

'You'll never win: you're pretty incapable of ever getting us to the right destination.'

'That is not true!' he huffed indignantly. 'And soon, remarks like that will not be tolerated.'

'What happens if I forget?'

'You'll be finding your own way back from Paris,' he replied. I could well imagine him leaving me behind, if only for a short time, to prove his point.

'Let's just hope that I win this wager then.'

We finished breakfast and I suggested that we attempted to get to Paris first before I wasted time dressing. So we headed to the console room and I steered clear of the console, letting the Doctor pilot.

'You can't let one bad experience stop you from trying again!' he said whilst inputting coordinates.

'It was a bit more than a "bad experience"!' I replied.

When the time rotor sprung into action, he came over to me and raised an eyebrow. 'Was kissing me _that_ bad?'

I pushed him. 'Thinking you were dead was _that_ bad.'

He put his arm around me. 'You'll let me know if losing this wager is worse, won't you?' We'd stopped moving and he made to go back to the console but I held him back.

'Doctor, before we see where we are, I just want you to know something.'

'What's that?'

I moved close to him and looked him in the eye. 'You're the most arrogant man I've ever met and your jokes are terrible. Just remember that if you win.'

He frowned. 'Very funny.' He went to the console and turned on the scanner. My heart sunk. The Eiffel Tower was in our view. 'Sorry, I've forgotten; what did you say about my jokes?' He turned to me revealing the smuggest smile I'd ever seen.

I withheld a scowl. 'I didn't say anything about your jokes,' I replied sweetly.

'So, er, what exactly _do_ you think about my jokes?' he asked, trying to make it sound innocent. This was going to be a long day. I decided that actions speak louder than words so walked up to him and put my hands in his soft curls, pulling his head to mine so that I could kiss him. He didn't protest but kissed me back with passion. I parted my lips and his tongue slipped in to explore my mouth. His hands were on the small of my back, bringing me closer to him. I was reluctant to end the kiss and he seemed to feel the same. Eventually we parted and he said with a smile, 'That wasn't an answer.'

I was too dazed to be annoyed at his ploy. 'Not as good as your kisses,' I replied, 'but I'm sure nothing could be.'

'I suppose I can accept that. Now go and get dressed, we have Paris to see. You may have noticed that I took the liberty of bringing us to 1890 this time so that we can see the newly constructed tower.'

'I did notice. You need to dress too.'

'Why? Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?'

He was in the usual yellow trousers, bright waistcoat, and colourful cravat ensemble. Today's cravat was violet with small white flowers on. 'Nothing. Just not very Parisian.' I smiled. 'For me?'

'When you put it like that... anything for you, my dear.' He followed me from the console room and into the wardrobe. I found the emerald dress that he'd bought me as a surprise the last time we were in Paris and left to shower. I put on the dress and looked in the mirror. The A Line wasn't as prominent as the dress I'd worn before but this served only to make it look more elegant, in my opinion. I put my hair in another doughnut to make it look thicker, wondering how long it would take to thicken naturally. I put on foundation to cover the bags that still rested underneath my eyes, some blush, and some dark pink lipstick. Satisfied that I didn't look like a walking corpse, I left for the console room. The Doctor was waiting by the door. He had his top hat in his hands and was wearing a black frock coat, emerald trousers, a matching cravat, and a golden waistcoat to match the embroidery on my dress. 'Does this live up to your expectations?' he asked, putting his top hat on.

'It more than lives up to them. You really do suit the French aristocratic look.'

'Not as much as you. I'm afraid I'll be fighting every man in Paris for you.'

'You'd win.' I replied.

'Do you still think that I deserve better than you?' he asked softly.

'Yes. But I'm too weak and selfish to care.'

'I'd say that you deserved better than me but I'm not certain such a man exists.' He smiled arrogantly and offered me his arm. Since I'd lost the wager, I could only take it in silence.

It was springtime in Paris. Warm but not stifling and the air was filled with the smell of fresh blossom that could be found on the nearby trees. We had materialised close to the Eiffel Tower and headed in that direction. When we arrived underneath it, the Doctor looked at it in disdain.

'I hope that you don't suggest that we climb that!'

I looked around to the four legs. 'The queue is much smaller to climb. It's not so bad, I've done it before.'

'If my hearts give out, it's your fault,' he grumbled as I led him to the northern leg. I caught a glimpse of the stairway behind the ticket booth.

'On second thoughts, there's nothing wrong with a bit of a queue.' The Doctor looked at me questioningly. 'I don't like spiral staircases.'

He laughed. 'That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.' Nonetheless, he led me to the western leg. 'Wait here,' he said before walking over to a worker and speaking to him. He returned to me shortly. 'Come on then, the Eiffel Tower awaits.' He led me past the queue of people and to the lift.

'What did you tell that man?' I asked, wondering how he had managed to queue-jump so easily.

'That you were President Carnot's daughter,' he replied. We were bowed into our own lift.

'And that actually worked?' I asked sceptically.

'It appears so.'

'Are these lifts safe?' I asked nervously when it began to move. It didn't seem to run as smoothly as its modern counterpart.

'Fairly. Very unreliable though. Don't be surprised if it breaks down.' He seemed unfazed.

'Brilliant.' I looked out of the window, watching the ground fall away from us and trying to hide my unease. The Doctor stood behind me and wrapped his arms around me.

'I was here just last year, walking up all those steps.' he commented.

'How long ago was it really?'

'I'm not certain. It was in my fourth incarnation. Hmm.' I leant back against him, feeling safer now that I was in his arms. We finally reached the second level and I dragged the Doctor out incase the lift decided to change its mind and plummet. I wasn't normally scared of lifts but nor was I accustomed to using unreliable lifts from the 19th century. The soft breeze relaxed me. I took the Doctor's hand and we looked around. There wasn't much on this floor; an office and printing press for _Le Figaro _newspaper and a patisserie. We went to the patisserie and had a coffee. It was very different to the unbearably crowded second level that I was used to, and devoid of souvenir shops and restaurants. It was quite pleasant. Especially as I was in the Doctor's company, listening to his silly stories, and trying hard not to be anything but nice.

'The last time I came up here, I was drunk,' I told him. 'It was our first day in Paris and we decided to walk from the Arc de Triomphe to here, stopping at several bars on the way. It felt more surreal climbing those steps drunk than it does sitting here, sober and drinking coffee, 100 years earlier.'

'Did you fall down the stairs? Is that why you dislike spiral staircases?'

I laughed. 'No, I managed to keep my footing. The stairs are different in my time, anyway, they aren't spiral. I get disorientated on spiral staircases and always think I'm about to fall. I have to walk so slowly on them. Surely you have something weird like that?'

He thought about it for a while. 'I hate it when people salute me.'

'Because that happens on a regular basis?'

'It's been known to happen.'

'Why don't you like it then?'

'I don't want to be regarded as a soldier. Militaristic exploits don't interest me in the slightest.'

'In a couple of decades, you'd get assaulted for holding that view.'

'Yes, humans rather have a knack for finding reasons to harm and kill each other, don't they?'

'But Earth is still your favourite planet,' I noted.

'I find your race endearing. Taking your first steps. Willing to interfere for goodness to prevail.' He took a sip of his coffee. 'Unlike my race,' he added bitterly. 'There's not a race in the universe like you humans.' I thought it was funny that if humans knew about Timelords most of them would give anything to be one. But there was a Timelord right here who clearly wasn't thrilled to be one. At least there were perks to being from Gallifrey. Every other race who hated their fellows didn't get the opportunity to leave in a machine that travelled through time and space.

We finished our coffees and headed to the lifts for the top floor. When it arrived, I looked at it nervously. I knew it was the same distance that we'd already climbed but we'd still be heading higher up. I looked at the conductor sitting below the lift. I'd forgotten about them. In my day, they had been replaced by a dummy, just for show. At least I didn't have his job; climbing up in the open air.

'I'd be quite content to see the landscape from this floor, instead,' the Doctor said to me. 'It's difficult to make out things from the third level, too high up.'

He wasn't fooling me but I was grateful. I allowed him to lead me away from the death trap lift and over to one of the edges. We leaned against the railing, the Doctor with his arm around me, looking out to the city. It wasn't as built up as it was in modern times but still filled with buildings. I could make out the Arc de Triomphe in the distance. It was very peaceful on this level since most visitors went straight to the third level without looking around the second.

'Is this our first date?' I randomly asked after a while.

He looked at me thoughtfully. 'I suppose it is. I should probably try a bit harder to make it special, shouldn't I?'

'You do enough already. At least you actually got us here.'

'Was that a hint of a snide remark I detected there?' he asked with a smile.

'No,' I replied, far too innocently, 'I just meant that it's not an easy task and you achieved it.' He laughed and rested his head on mine.

'I assumed so. It takes incredible skill to take the TARDIS to a precise location, you know.' His arrogance would be the death of me. 'How about that trip to the Louvre?'

'Okay. I guess we have to get down from here eventually.' We made our way to the lifts and found ourselves in a fairly full one going down. This didn't improve my anxiety since I had now decided that the lift wouldn't be able to handle the extra weight. The Doctor kept his arm around me for the journey and stroked my hair. I sighed in relief when we emerged at the bottom. 'We survived!'

'We've survived worse! It _may_ have been a small error on my part to tell you that it was unstable. Apologies.'

Unfortunately, I couldn't say what I would have liked to so I just accepted his apology. He found a carriage, led by a beautiful white horse, and asked the driver to take us to the Louvre, before helping me inside. 'This makes up for the lift,' I said, leaning against the Doctor. 'Have you been to the Louvre before?'

'Yes. The last time was in my fourth incarnation again. But not that same time. I took a Timelady to 1979 once. We went to the Eiffel Tower too actually. We took the lift, naturally. We ended up in the Louvre and I stole a bracelet from a woman,' he told me nonchalantly.

'You did what?' I exclaimed in disbelief.

'Well there had been a time disturbance and the bracelet was of alien design, you see. It belonged to the last Jagaroth, whose ship had crashed on Earth 400 million years ago. He'd been meddling in time to stop the ship from crashing but it had to happen so that the energy from it could create the beginnings of life on this planet.'

'Are you replicating your date with that Timelady with me?'

'I just told you how life began on your planet and _that's _the bit you're concentrating on?' he said incredulously. 'Romana was only a friend. I took her to Paris because it's one of my favourite places.'

'That's something we have in common then.' We arrived at the Louvre which was without the glass pyramids. I was surprised to find myself thinking that it was an improvement.

'This is the finest gallery in the universe,' the Doctor stated.

'Really? I didn't spend much time looking at the paintings when I was here in 2012.'

'What? Why did you come here then?'

'The Egyptian artefacts interest me more. But I've seen that all now. We can look at the paintings if you want.'

'Clearly I need to educate you,' he replied, leading me to the entrance. The collection was far smaller than it would grow to be but still impressive. We found the Venus de Milo to my surprise and, when we reached the Mona Lisa, the Doctor explained how the Jagaroth had made da Vinci paint six so that he could sell them in the future. Five of the six had been destroyed so there was only one copy left; as it should be. He told me the history of several paintings as we walked through the gallery. It was extraordinary how much knowledge he actually had.

When we had seen our fill of the Louvre, the Doctor led us outside and hailed another carriage. The sky was darkening and I realised that we must have been in the gallery for several hours. I didn't really pay attention to where we were headed, although, after a while of heading in a straight line, I did notice the Luxor Obelisk. That meant that we were on Place de la Concorde. I had my head on the Doctor's shoulder.

'Where are we going?' I asked him.

'You'll find out soon enough,' he replied. Why was it so hard to just get a straight answer out of him for once? I would have complained about it but I didn't fancy being stranded in Paris indefinitely. About ten minutes later, the driver brought us to a halt and a guard came to the Doctor's side of the carriage. The Doctor opened the door, said a few words that I couldn't make out, and passed him something from his pocket. The guard read it (I could see now that it was a piece of parchment) then hit the side of the carriage and we continued our journey. We went through huge gates to approach the large courtyard of a palace, bustling with other carriages. When we stopped again, the Doctor gave the driver some money then assisted me in disembarking. He led me up some steps to the front doors, which were opened by two guards who bowed in acknowledgement of us.

'What's going on?' I asked the Doctor in confusion.

'I thought that you might like to go to a ball,' he replied. We had entered a grand entrance hall and were led down a red carpet to the ballroom. It was quite possibly the biggest room I had ever set foot in and was lit by dozens of chandeliers – each probably worth more than my house. There were already plenty of people inside, and it was filling up by the second. The windows were obscured by heavy red velvet drapes and the floor seemed to be marble. The ceiling was covered in frescoes of cherubs and other heavenly scenes, framed by gilded wood. Scattered around the edge of the room were tables of various sizes but the middle was left free for dancing. The end of the room held a stage, upon which a sizeable orchestra was playing.

An extremely well dressed man with dark hair and a thick, black beard and moustache came over to us. 'Doctor, is that really you?' he said, holding out a hand to the Doctor.

'It most certainly is. You're looking very well Carnot. Allow me to introduce the lovely Rosaline Butler.'

Carnot. The name sounded familiar but I couldn't quite place it. 'How delightful to meet such a beautiful young lady,' Carnot said, kissing my hand.

'It's a pleasure to meet you,' I replied politely. Then it clicked. Carnot. President Carnot, the Doctor had said. 'Thank you for having us as your guests.'

'I must admit, I wasn't certain that you would come.' He turned to the Doctor. 'You didn't look willing to accept my invitation when it was offered. Then again, you didn't look like you do now either. Change of face, change of heart perhaps?'

'Precisely my dear fellow,' the Doctor said. 'Now, to business. Where's the buffet you're always raving about?' The president boomed with laughter and led us to a table laden with food.

'Tell me that this isn't the most impressive spread you've ever seen!' Carnot exclaimed.

'Very impressive,' the Doctor agreed. He passed me a plate and took one for himself. 'We only came for the food really.' He began to pile food onto his plate.

'He might have. I came to dance,' I told Carnot.

'Then you must promise to spare a dance for me!' he replied.

I decided that he was a very likeable man. 'Of course,' I smiled.

He bowed. 'And now I must leave you, and greet my other guests. Eat, drink, and, above all, enjoy yourselves! I shall return for that dance.' He left to talk to somebody else and I turned to fill my plate too. The Doctor's was already piled high.

I was about to comment on how he would put on weight again and remembered, just in time, the consequences of such words. Although, I thought, Carnot was friendly enough. Perhaps he would let me stay with him if the Doctor tried to prove his point. Best not to risk it. 'The food looks delicious,' I settled for instead.

'It tastes even more delicious,' he said with a full mouth. It was hard for me not to react. 'Here, try this.' He shoved a vol-au-vent, filled with lamb and mint sauce, into my mouth before I could protest.

'Mmm, it's lovely,' I said, my mouth still full.

'Don't talk with your mouth full!' he scolded. 'Disgusting habit.' I rolled my eyes but said nothing. He led me to a small table where we sat to eat. 'So, what do you think?' he asked, gesturing to the room at large.

'It's wonderful. The president seems very amiable. How have you met him before?'

'Oh I met him very early on in my travels at the centenary of the French Revolution. I met him again at the opening of the Eiffel Tower and he gave me an invitation for tonight. I'd explained regeneration to him over an Absinthe or five. He was very unperturbed. Nothing surprises that man.'

'I'd never heard of him before. Is he known for anything? You know, like the Watergate scandal for Nixon or Thatcher being the Iron Lady.'

'Not really. His assassination, I suppose. He was given a very elaborate funeral.'

'Who would assassinate such a lovely man?'

'Sante Geronimo Caserio. He was executed for it, don't worry.'

'That isn't comforting!'

'I'm afraid it's all I can offer. He still has a few years left anyway. He has a good life. Shall we dance?'

'I'd love to.' The Doctor led me to the centre of the room where we began to waltz.

'I hardly think that I need to warn you against telling Carnot about his future, do I?'

'I know that. In any case, I wouldn't want to know about my death before it happened and I'm sure he wouldn't either.'

We danced for a long time before, at the end of a song, we were approached by Carnot. I let go of the Doctor. 'I would like to claim that dance, at your convenience,' he said.

'I'm ready now,' I replied. He led me away and we began to dance slowly.

'The Doctor is an extraordinary man, you know.' he said to me after a while.

'I know,' I replied, smiling into Carnot's shoulder.

'I hope that he gives you all of the love and attention that you deserve. If he ever hurts you, just give the word and we will see whether growing a new head is one of his many talents.'

An image of the Doctor at the guillotine flashed through my mind and I winced. 'I'm sure that won't be necessary, but thank you.'

'How did you meet?' he asked.

'I bumped into him in Rome,' I answered, deciding to omit the grisly details. 'We've been inseparable ever since.' It wasn't exactly a lie. We'd both seen the effects of being away from each other and I was sure that he was as keen as I not to relive that. I may have shown the effects more than he did but the exhaustion in his eyes hadn't gone unnoticed. And the fact that he had come back for me. Twice. He needed me just as much as I needed him. Or so I hoped, anyway.

When the song ended, Carnot let me go. He bowed and kissed my hand again so I gave him a small curtsy. 'I shan't detain you from your love any longer,' he said, bounding off. I found the Doctor at the table we'd eaten at and he pushed a glass of wine in front of me.

'Thank you,' I said taking it and having a sip. Like everything else in the room, it was exquisite. 'I should warn you that Carnot has threatened to have your head removed if you hurt me.' I smiled. 'So I guess I'm not the only one who should be on their best behaviour!'

He pretended to look affronted but couldn't help but laugh. 'Would you keep my head?'

'Of course. I'd mount it on the console room wall as a trophy.'

'I'd still be able to talk, you know. There'd be no end to my head puns.'

My jaw dropped. 'Really? You'd still be alive?'

He laughed so much a tear escaped his eye. He wiped it away and said, 'You are so very gullible, my dear.'

'At least I won't have to stuff my smelly sock in your mouth to stop you talking then.'

'That isn't very nice,' he replied with a smile and a hint of warning in his voice.

'Well, I wouldn't want your mouth to tire. I'm only thinking of you, Doctor!'

'How thoughtful of you,' he said with disdain.

'Let's dance again,' I said, standing up and pulling him with me.

We spent the night dancing, drinking and mingling with the French aristocracy. Everybody we met commented on how beautiful I looked in my dress, which I could see pleased the Doctor greatly. He always kept an arm around my waist when we were talking to people as if to let them know that I was off limits. I wasn't complaining though. Whenever we were offered Absinthe, we politely turned it down and settled for wine instead. Which wasn't the best move on my part since I'd always been notorious for the ease of which wine got me drunk. After four glasses I was having trouble walking in a straight line – much to the Doctor's amusement. After five, I had to stop dancing because the spinning was making me feel ill. After six, I was ready to leave.

'Why have you let me get so drunk?' I slurred to the Doctor.

'It's amusing. And I needed some company.' I struggled to look at him but he did seem quite drunk too. He'd had more wine than me but I'd assumed that he could handle it. 'Come along, I think we should get you to bed.' We said our goodbyes to everybody we'd made the acquaintance of and headed off to the courtyard.

Carnot had warned the Doctor to treat me well and bid us visit again. 'And try to keep the same face if you do!' he had added. The Doctor helped me into another carriage and directed the driver to the Eiffel Tower. It was quite a journey, and the alcohol, combined with the darkness outside, made me very sleepy. I leant against the Doctor and closed my eyes. I was woken by him gently nudging me. I hadn't realised that I'd fallen asleep. We had come to a stop outside the Eiffel Tower. He helped me out and we walked the short distance to the TARDIS. He took me straight to my bedroom and pulled me towards him for a kiss. It was rather sloppy, as a result of our drunken state, but I was content with any of his kisses. His hands found the bows at the back of my dress and undid them. My heart began to pound; was he...? He ended the kiss and stroked my cheek.

'I didn't want you falling over, trying to find the non-existent zip again,' he murmured.

'Thank you,' I whispered.

He pecked my lips then said goodnight before leaving me alone and unsure as to whether I was relieved or not. I decided that, since this had technically been our first date, it would have been wrong for him to stay. I got the dress off with only a little difficulty and changed into my bedclothes. I fell asleep instantly and was relieved when I woke up the next morning to realise that I'd had a dreamless sleep. Unfortunately, the hangover that I'd managed to avoid after the Absinthe had finally found me and the Doctor hadn't left me any water. I stayed curled up in bed, knowing that moving was an impossibility. Eventually, I heard the familiar knock on my door. I didn't bother answering so he opened my door anyway. He crouched at the head of my bed so that I could see him.

'Feeling refreshed?'

'Where's your magic water that makes me feel better?' I croaked.

'Oh, I thought you didn't like me drugging you,' he said with a smug smile. I reached out a hand and hit his shoulder but there was no strength behind it.

'You can either get me some or clean my vomit off of yourself. Your choice.' He quickly got up and left, returning shortly with a glass of water which I snatched from him and drank thirstily. Its effects were instantaneous and I managed to sit up. 'You're cruel,' I told him.

'_You're_ still in Paris,' he replied, reproachingly.

'And?'

'And, my dear, I believe that my reward for winning the bet was that you would be nice to me for the entire trip. The trip isn't over yet.'

'I'll just stay in the TARDIS then. You can't leave me behind if I'm already in here.'

'Is that so?' he said with a glint in his eyes. He swooped down and picked me up in a fireman's lift, causing me to squeal. He headed towards the console room, ignoring my fists hammering on his back.

'I'm sorry!' I repeatedly said between laughs. 'I didn't mean it!' In the console room, he went straight to the console and pulled the lever to open the door. I struggled to get free from him but his grip on me was strong. He put me down when he reached the threshold and smiled haughtily.

'Just a warning, Rosie, just a warning.' He walked off, chortling. I glared at his back and made my way back to my bedroom, after shutting the door. I decided to take a long bath before dressing. I didn't bother dressing in a 19th century gown since I felt that we'd seen enough of Paris now. I went in search of the Doctor and found him in the dining room, reading a newspaper entitled _The Cross, _and eating a cheese roll. He didn't acknowledge me – too engrossed in his newspaper. A platter of croissants, grapes, and rolls was on the table and a plate had been placed at the seat opposite him. I sat down and helped myself to a croissant and some grapes. Eventually, he shut the paper and looked at me. 'Since you lost the wager, you shouldn't get to choose our next destination but I've promised to take you to Egypt and I always try to keep my promises. Is there any particular time you wanted to see?'

I chewed on my croissant, thinking hard. 'The Amarna Age,' I replied, realising that I'd known the answer all along.

He nodded his approval. 'Excellent choice; I've always wanted to meet Nefertiti.'

'I can't believe I'm actually going to see the New Kingdom! We could find out if Akhenaten really was Tutankhamun's father!'

'How dull. I'd much rather find out where Nefertiti went to.'

'That too, of course. Come on, let's go now!' I was at the door before he could even stand up, unable to contain my excitement. 'Hurry up!'

'Why? It's not exactly going anywhere.' I grabbed his hand and dragged him to the console room. I stopped at the door.

'Doctor...' I said accusingly.

'Yes?' he replied, far too innocently.

'Bump into any flower-sellers recently by any chance?' The console room was once again covered in roses but this time they were all red.

'How did this happen?' he said in a poor attempt at feigning surprise. I gave him a reprimanding look and he chuckled. 'Alright, I may have been partly responsible. Don't you like it?'

'It's beautiful. It's like a personification of your madness.'

'My madness?' he exclaimed. 'My _madness_! I haven't the faintest idea of what you mean.'

'Never mind that now! Let's get to Egypt!' I pushed him towards the console. He gave in and began the dematerialisation sequence. The time rotor sprung into action then there was a huge bang and the TARDIS jolted violently, sending us both sprawling. I looked up to see the console on fire. 'Doctor, the console!' I shouted.

'Sprinklers!' he yelled. Sprinklers came on, drenching us, and dousing the fire.

'Are you insane? Water on an electrical fire?' I screamed to him, edging away from the console.'

'It isn't water,' he replied matter of factly whilst examining the damage. 'There doesn't seem to be any irreparable damage but it might take a while to repair.' He stroked the console lovingly. 'Poor thing.'

The time rotor stopped moving and the TARDIS jolted again. The Doctor managed to keep his footing but I fell into the wall nearest me, hitting my head. 'What's going on!' I asked angrily as I rubbed my head.

'I'm not entirely sure.' He couldn't hide the concern in his voice. 'But we _have_ landed somewhere. The trouble is, I can't see where...' He tried to turn on the scanner but nothing happened. 'I suppose we'd better go and investigate.' My heart sunk. That never ended well. He turned to face me and saw me still sprawled against the wall. 'Well don't just lie around!' He offered me a hand which I took with a glare.

'I'm fine, by the way.'

'Never mind, never mind. This is serious, Rosie!' He pulled the lever to open the doors and walked to the them, grabbing his freshly-cleaned colourful coat from the hat stand and donning it. I followed him uncertainly. He stopped without warning at the door, blocking my view of whatever lay before us. 'But that's impossible!'

'What is it?' I asked, trying and failing to catch a glimpse of whatever was impossible.

'This is far more serious than I'd thought.' All of a sudden, a bell rang somewhere behind me. 'Ah, the cloister bell. Right on cue.' He stepped out of the TARDIS and I followed, curious to see where we had landed. Then I, too, stopped in my tracks. We were in a laboratory and standing at the far wall was something that couldn't possibly be there. The TARDIS.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N** - Sorry for the delay. Tis the season to pretend to be festive etc. Belated Christmas gifts in the form of reviews? :)

**Chapter 9: Three's a Crowd**

The door to the TARDIS opposite me opened and a white-haired man in a burgundy, velvet jacket and a ruffled shirt stepped out.

He glanced behind me, to our TARDIS, then looked at the Doctor disapprovingly. 'Dear, dear. This won't do at all.' He stepped towards us, stopping inches away from the Doctor. He was a couple of inches taller. 'I sincerely hope that you aren't who I think you are.'

'And why exactly would you hope that?' the Doctor asked angrily.

'Whatever could I have been thinking when I decided to remove _that _coat from the wardrobe. I thought it was in the fancy dress section.'

'How peculiar, I was thinking the exact same about your entire attire,' the Doctor replied.

'I see that my temper doesn't improve with age,' the man said.

'Doctor?' I began.

'Yes?' they both replied.

'Never mind.' My suspicions had been confirmed.

'What is it?' the Doctor asked, turning to me.

'I was going to ask if you were talking to yourself but you answered my question by replying.'

The younger incarnation of the Doctor came towards me. 'And who might this delightful young lady be?' he asked.

'Rosie,' I replied.

He took my hand in his own and kissed it. 'What a lovely name, for such a lovely lady.' I blushed.

'Oh stop it, you dandy!' my Doctor said, sounding annoyed.

'I'm just being polite, man. Clearly I am no longer versed in the art of politeness later in life.'

I laughed. 'There's no denying that you are the same person. You were only berating me about not being versed in the art of politeness yesterday. But which one are you?'

'I have regenerated twice, my dear.'

'The clown and dandy,' my Doctor said.

'My dear fellow, I don't think that you are in the position to call anybody a clown.'

'But I already did, remember?' He frowned. 'Or perhaps not. Who is your assistant?'

'Well if you must know, Jo –'

'Jones, yes. I remember.'

'Jones? Your memory must be going in your old age. It's Jo Grant actually.'

'So she hasn't married yet. What was the last thing you did?'

'I have just returned from thwarting the Master's attempt to begin a war between humans and aquatic Silurians. That man truly is a fool.'

'At least we can agree on that. Still, I quite enjoyed my spats with him when I was you.'

'Yes, well I'm in no hurry to find myself reacquainted with him.'

'Why don't I remember this?' my Doctor suddenly asked suspiciously. 'Are you not listening to me?'

'I don't exactly have a choice in the matter. Tell me, Rosie, is he always this loud?'

'Mostly. You get used to it.' I looked at him properly. He _was_ the Doctor, after all. I stepped closer to him and looked at his nose before turning to his older self. 'I suppose it is a bit bigger than yours but it's not so bad. And he has lovely eyes.'

'How very kind of you, my dear. Yes, I was quite pleased with this regeneration too.' He glanced at my Doctor again, who was scowling. 'It's certainly better than what I become.'

'Now that is just not true!' my Doctor said indignantly. 'This is, by far, my best regeneration yet.'

'Jo!' I exclaimed, ignoring my Doctor's insistence of his superiority. They both looked at me. 'The guards at Peladon mentioned her, remember, Doctor? Is that who they meant?'

'Yes, I went to Peladon with her just before visiting the Master in prison if I remember rightly.' He looked at the third incarnation. 'You only recently went then?'

'Correct. You returned there?'

'It was the first place I took Rosie. And I taught her that Venusian lullaby that Aggedor was fond of.'

'Oh yes, good old Aggedor.' I heard the dong of what the Doctor had identified as the cloister bell again.

'The TARDIS doesn't like us being here,' my Doctor explained to his younger self. 'The console is broken though so we won't be moving any time soon. I may need your help to fix her.'

'My dear Doctor, I can't even fix my own TARDIS,' he replied bitterly. 'I highly doubt that I'll be able to assist you. The Timelords took my memories of operating the TARDIS, in case you had forgotten.'

'That explains a lot,' I said, looking pointedly at my Doctor. 'No wonder you have such trouble controlling her.'

He looked affronted. 'Oh I have trouble, do I? Remind me where you took us, again?'

'That's unfair. You've had more practice than me!'

'Are you suggesting that you can pilot the TARDIS?' the younger Doctor asked me.

'If you can call it that,' I replied with a laugh.

He walked over to his own TARDIS and rested his head against it. 'A human can do what I can't,' he muttered dejectedly.

I walked up to him and put my arm around him. 'You taught me.' He offered me a small smile then walked back to my Doctor.

'Just what exactly did you do to the old girl?' he asked himself.

'_I _did nothing! The console exploded and caught fire. Most of the circuits will need rewiring.'

'If I help you, will you help with my repairs?'

'You know that I can't do that. I'll disrupt out entire timeline. In any case, there's somebody you'll want to stick around for.'

'Who? Rosie?'

'Of course not, she isn't yours! No, somebody else. A very good friend.' I wondered who he meant then realised that he was probably talking about Sarah Jane Smith. She had befriended the Doctor whilst he was at UNIT, I remembered.

'Where is the Brigadier?' I asked.

'You've met him?' the younger Doctor said in surprise. 'He's currently in Geneva.'

'Well that explains why he didn't recognise me and Rosie in Battle. He won't see us here.'

'Just which one of me are you exactly?'

'The sixth.'

'And are my other future selves as flamboyant as you?' he asked with dislike.

'You'll find out for yourself soon enough. Thankfully, _I_ wasn't involved in Game of Rassilon – this incarnation I mean. It's bad enough meeting myself one at a time, five all together...' he shuddered, 'I'm not sure I'd cope. Still,' he said with a smug smile, '_you_ have that to look forward to.'

'Tell me,' the third said with distaste, 'when did I get so unbearable? How does Rosie put up with you?'

'Unbearable? _You _calling _me _unbearable! That's rich. Rosie certainly doesn't think I'm _unbearable_!'

'I'm certain she'd prefer this me if she had the opportunity to know me,' he said confidently.

They both looked at me and I burst out laughing. 'Nope. Not happening. Fight yourself by all means but don't expect me to get involved!' My Doctor came to me and put his arm around my shoulder.

'You wouldn't prefer him, trust me.'

'You weren't lying when you said that you didn't get on with yourself then! I don't understand; he seems friendly enough. And I can see the similarities between the two of you.'

'I am nothing like that foppish fool!'

'Yes you are. That's probably why you clash so much. You're both so arrogant, eccentric, and mad.'

'Will you stop calling me mad!' he said angrily.

'How very interesting,' the younger Doctor cut in. 'It seems that I've met my match. I'd keep an eye on her if I were you...or _when_ I am you, I should say.'

'Oh, I do, don't worry. She's quite a handful.'

I glared at them both. 'Oh look, you've found a common enemy and now you can work together to defeat me.' They both chuckled. 'This is a very strange situation. Two Doctors. At least it's not two of _my _Doctor.'

'And what exactly would be wrong with having two of _me _around?'

'I probably wouldn't be able to get a word in edgeways because you'd be too busy constantly complimenting yourself!' He took his arm off of my shoulders and stepped away.

'Let's just get started on the TARDIS, shall we? The sooner we leave this place, the better.'

The third Doctor and I followed my Doctor into our TARDIS. 'I see you've redecorated,' the third Doctor said. 'I don't like it.'

'What a surprise,' my Doctor replied sarcastically.

'And what on Earth is with all of these roses?' He frowned as he looked around.

'You seem unable to buy just one, later in life!' I told him.

He picked one up and tucked it behind my ear. 'A posy for a Rosie,' he said with a small bow.

'Why don't you just take a look at the console and assess the damage for yourself?' my Doctor interrupted impatiently.

The younger did as the elder said and walked around the console, giving out the occasional tut. I took my Doctor's hand which he squeezed before walking off to the console. 'You've really fried her. Honestly, look at this mess!' the third scolded.

'Can it be fixed?' I asked with concern.

'I should think so, but I'm afraid that I was probably right. It might take a while.' he looked at his counterpart smugly. 'It seems that you've been given the opportunity to share in my exile. Dear, dear, how unfortunate for you.' My Doctor glared at him then stormed off, retreating further into the TARDIS. His younger self chuckled. 'My, my, what a temper. How _do _you put up with it?'

'I've never seen him this bad,' I admitted. 'I think he's just annoyed that he's stranded here with himself.'

'I can't say that I'm too thrilled with it either, to be perfectly honest. Thank goodness you are here to dissipate some of the tension. Tell me, how did we meet?'

'Am I allowed to tell you about your future? Won't it be dangerous, or something?'

'I shouldn't think so. I've already admitted to myself that I can't remember any of this so I believe that we are quite safe.'

'We met in Rome,' I began softly. 'You took me to Peladon to return a stray Aggedor that we'd found in the tunnels beneath St Peter's Basilica then left me. I suppose that you really can't have remembered this encounter because you didn't recognise me when we first met. Anyway, you returned for me after what had been a couple of years for you, deciding that you did want my company now. I left for a while but came back again. You returned for me again.' I looked up at the man who would one day mean so much to me and found him frowning.

'You must have left quite an impression,' was all that he said.

'I like to think so. Well, I suppose I must have if...' I trailed off, blushing slightly.

'If what?'

'If I could make you care for me as much as you do. I'm beginning to think that you're jealous of yourself, you don't want me to get close to you...' We stood in silence for a while. 'I'd better go and find you. I suspect that you might need cheering up.'

I left the second regeneration in the console room as I walked the corridors to find the Doctor. He might have gone to his elusive bedroom but I had a feeling that he'd want me to find him so I headed for the library. Sure enough, he was sitting there on the chaise longue, staring into the distance. I sat next to him and put my hand over his, on his lap. 'We'll be on our way soon, don't worry.'

He snapped out of his reverie and looked at me. 'Not soon enough, I fear.'

'What's the matter?' I asked him, stroking his cheek with my spare hand.

He sighed deeply. 'I hate being here, remembering when I was trapped here, in that very laboratory, with primitive equipment and no real hope of escape. And seeing _him –_ that buffoon – smoothly trying to take you for himself, it doesn't help the situation.'

I laughed. 'You're upset because you're being nice to me?'

'He isn't me! We may be two parts to the same person but we aren't the same. I've changed.'

I kissed him lightly on the lips. 'I know that you aren't the same. _You're _mine. He isn't. And neither of us want him to be. Come on, sulking in here won't get the TARDIS fixed.'

I went to stand up but he grabbed me and pulled me towards him, into a passionate kiss. Marking his territory, most likely. 'What would I do without you?' he asked when we broke apart.

'You'll never have to find out,' I replied. 'Now come on, try and play nicely with your younger self.' We returned to the console room to find it empty and so exited the TARDIS to find the third Doctor fiddling with equipment in the laboratory.

'I was almost hoping that you'd regenerated,' the third said when he noticed our reappearance. 'Never mind, the situation could be worse.'

'I could be my second self, you mean?' my Doctor replied lightly.

'Precisely. Insufferable incarnation, in retrospect. And that wretched recorder!'

'And yet, when I was him, I was so reluctant to regenerate. I can't, for the life of me, think why! You'll be bumping into him soon, be sure to tell him exactly what we think of him, won't you?'

'You can't be serious. How does that happen?'

'Timelord interference, of course. I recently bumped into him, myself, actually. He wasn't very appreciative of my saving his life. Perhaps I should have left him to Dastari and Chessene...'

'Dastari? He was always a dear friend.'

'It took him a long time to remember that. Rosie, there's a small kitchen at the end of the corridor, why don't you make us all some tea?'

I was going to retort angrily about being his maid but decided to just do as he'd asked rather than upset him further. I left the room and hurried in the direction of the kitchen. It was more of a room with a few counters, a microwave, and kettle, but it had everything needed for tea so I set to it. It didn't take long to make the teas and soon I was returning to the laboratory. I paused when I heard angry voices coming from the room. I'd left the door ajar when I'd left and now used that to my advantage, knowing that I probably wasn't meant to hear this conversation.

'...thinking? Am I really going to become _that _stupid!'

'Don't poke that large nose into matters that don't concern you. I'll do what I like!'

'She's a human you bumbling buffoon! Don't you realise the consequences?'

'I'm well aware, thank you very much. Do you really think that I haven't considered all of this?'

'And yet you've still begun a relationship with a human. I've been stuck on this planet for a long time but that thought has never crossed my mind! What made you succumb to such a weakness?'

'Weakness? You infuriating man. It's no weakness!'

'Why are you lying to yourself? To _both _of yourself...'

'I am not!'

'If it isn't a weakness, then why in the name of Rassilon are you with the girl?' My mouth dropped slightly. I'd thought that he liked me...

'You haven't the slightest idea what I've been through! _You, _stuck here where the worst thing that happens is having to repair Bessie. I _need _ Rosaline. She helps me to forget...'

'To forget what, man? That you're a Timelord? That you'll grow attached, see her age and die whilst you remain unchanged? That you'll have centuries to dwell on it? Is it really worth it?'

'Yes. I'd rather have only a few short years with her then never have had that joy. And you will too when you become me, when you realise how alone you are in the universe. How crushing the boredom of eternity truly is. Now, enough! We have a TARDIS to fix.'

'You confounded clown. Our regenerations after you won't thank you for this. But if I can't make you see sense then I shall drop it, for now.'

I took my cue to walk in. 'Drop what?' I asked innocently.

'Nothing important, my dear,' he replied. 'Ah tea, excellent.' So he had that annoying trait of changing the subject, just like his successor. I knew that I had to remain friendly to him so as not to betray my eavesdropping but I had the mad urge to throw the tea at him.

My Doctor picked up a tea and put his arm around my shoulders and I noted that his younger self kept an impassive face. 'This used to be my favourite mug, you know. Until Jo broke it, that is.' He kept his tone light but I could tell that it was strained.

'I liked it, that's why I picked it up. Anyway, if you don't need me, I'm going to go and have a look around.'

'Don't get into any trouble!' my Doctor replied, taking his arm off of me and nudging me towards the door.

When I was out of earshot, I ran through the building, trying to find the exit. I was staring at my feet intensely to stop all the inevitable thoughts from entering my head and so didn't notice when I ran straight into somebody.

'I'm so sorry,' I said, looking up to find myself staring at a man in military clothing and a green beret. He appeared to be fairly young – not much older than myself – and not unattractive.

'That's quite alright, it was my fault.' He glanced at me and furrowed his eyebrows. 'I haven't seen you before, who are you here with?'

'Oh, I'm the Doctor's friend. I just thought I'd leave him to himself and explore this place a bit. I've never been here before.' I hadn't told a lie, just omitted the fact that there were two Doctors in the building.

'You know, civilians aren't really meant to wander around headquarters.' He said it matter-of-factly rather than in reprimand.

'Sorry, I didn't know,' I replied.

'I'll show you around, if you'd like?'

I smiled. 'That would be nice, if it isn't too much trouble. I'm already lost.' He returned my smile and led me back the way I had been walking.

'It took me a long while to find my way around here, don't worry. I'm Captain Mike Yates, by the way, what is your name?'

He had announced his title with pride and I could tell that he probably never tired from revealing it to new acquaintances. 'I'm Rosaline Butler. You can call me Rosie.'

'How do you know the Doctor? He's a peculiar fellow, isn't he.'

'Very. He's just an old friend.'

'Mind you, I'm not sorry for knowing him. Always handy in a tight situation.'

'I can imagine. He's very good at finding trouble though.'

'We all are, here at UNIT!' he laughed. We reached a front door and he held it open for me. I walked through to find a large expanse of countryside all around us. We walked around the estate and Mike told me about how the building was once a priory that eventually burnt down. It was very impressive looking and didn't look like the headquarters of a military organisation. We sat on the lawn and participated in idle small talk.

The grounds were so lovely and peaceful that I wondered why the Doctor disliked it here so much. But then I remembered how suffocating I found Kings Hill and understood. I was here to visit, but he had been trapped here indefinitely. That would make even the most beautiful area the place of nightmares. The sun was setting, tainting the sky a pale pink and burnt orange. It was a lovely sunset yet it only made me wonder how many more I'd be seeing here. I wanted to get away from the younger Doctor as soon as possible. I wanted to confront my own Doctor about their exchange. Did he find me a burden? Was he using me just to help him forget Peri? A lone tear rolled down my cheek. Had I been deceived again?

'What's the matter?' Mike asked me in concern when I had been silent a long time.

I wiped away the tear. 'Nothing really, I just realised how little I actually know the Doctor. I'm not so certain that he's the man I thought he was.'

'He certainly is a difficult fellow to read. He can be difficult and sometimes rude but I think he's a good man. Don't worry about it, whatever it is.'

I smiled at him. 'I hope you're right. I should probably get back, he'll be worried about me.' We got up and Mike led me back to the Doctor's laboratory.

'I won't come in, I don't want him to rebuke me for detaining you for so long.'

'Thank you for your company,' I replied, relieved that I didn't have to make up an excuse for him not to come in. He bowed slightly then left. I entered the lab and found that it was empty so headed for the TARDIS assuming that they would be in the console room. I wasn't mistaken; they were next to the console and surrounded by tools and wires. 'I guess that we won't be leaving for a while then.'

Both Doctors looked up at the sound of my voice. 'It doesn't look like it,' the younger said.

'But we are making progress, at least,' mine told me. He untangled himself from the wires and came up to me. 'We'll just have to pretend that we're in the Time Vortex tonight.' He kissed my forehead. 'Did you have fun exploring?'

'Yes, it's surprisingly nice here. I bumped into Captain Mike Yates and he showed me around. The sunset is beautiful this evening.'

'Mike Yates? I remember he was rather fond of Jo Grant for a time.'

'At least you don't have to worry about competition then,' I said smiling and poking him lightly. I knew it was immature but I decided to act as loved up as possible to annoy the younger Doctor. My Doctor chuckled and pecked my lips. Perhaps he was playing the same game. 'Where is Jo anyway?'

'She's on holiday, I'm afraid,' the younger Doctor replied, getting up from the console. 'Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to retire for the day.'

'Not at all, I think I've had quite enough of myself for one day.' The third incarnation gave the sixth a stern look before leaving the TARDIS. 'We could steal Bessie and go into the town for dinner?' my Doctor said with a mischievous smile.

'No, thank you, I don't want to get on his bad side. I'm going to finish unpacking.' I walked off, leaving him looking disappointed but I wasn't in the mood to be in his company.

I stayed in my room for the remainder of the evening and the Doctor didn't disturb me. It took a long time for sleep to claim me since my mind was firmly fixed on the Doctor and our doomed relationship. I waited a while before getting out of bed when I awoke the following morning. I had half hoped and expected that the Doctor would knock on my door as usual but the knock never came. Instead, I showered and dressed before making my way to the kitchen for breakfast. The kitchen was empty and I guessed that he was already in the console room. I took my time over my food; not in any hurry to greet the two Doctors again. When I could delay no more, I headed slowly toward the console room.

'I told you to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow!' the third Doctor was exclaiming as I entered.

'And just what, exactly, do you think that will achieve?' my Doctor replied angrily. Neither had noticed me enter.

'Well, for starters, it would stop me from getting electrocuted every time I touch the console!'

My Doctor sighed. 'Have it your way, then.' He took out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the console. In response, the console began to hum a high pitched tune before emitting a large blue bolt of electricity that hit my Doctor squarely in the chest, sending him flying. I ran over to him and the third Doctor chuckled.

'I didn't truly believe that he wouldn't see that coming. Good grief, he's a bigger fool than I could have possibly imagined!'

'Stop it!' I cried, 'He's hurt and it's your fault!'

'Of course he isn't, child. It's the same trick we used to always play in the Academy. I cannot believe that he has forgotten it. Never mind, he'll be up again in a moment.'

I glared at him then turned to see my Doctor shoot up and send his own glare in the third Doctor's direction. 'Are you quite finished?'

'Yes, I should think so. But really, Doctor, you should have known better. I've been replaced by an idiot.'

'That is incorrect! You have been replaced by a far more mature man who finds no pleasure in such trivial tricks.' He stood up and pulled me with him. 'Good morning, my dear.'

'Have you nearly finished fixing the TARDIS yet?' I asked, hopefully.

'As a matter of fact, we have. With our two combined minds, we have worked much faster to fix her. We should be on our way by the end of the day. Provided, the dandy over there can stop with the pranks, of course.'

'Are you alright?' I asked, looking at him for any signs of damage. 'You frightened me!'

'Yes, yes. I'm fine, it's merely a parlour trick. It can't cause real damage.' He squeezed my shoulders reassuringly. 'I need to get some more tools, I'll be back in a moment.'

I begrudgingly watched him go; I had no desire to be left alone with his previous self. The air seemed so much heavier as soon as he left and an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Finally, I could bear it no more. I looked up and saw that the cause of my troubles was studying me carefully.

'You heard what I said yesterday, didn't you?' He asked cautiously.

I nodded. 'I thought you liked me. Yet you were so cruel.'

'My dear child, I have nothing against you. Quite the contrary, I think that you are a delight. But surely you must see that there will be no happy ending with your Doctor?'

'When is there ever a happy ending? Something bad always happens, so isn't it better to just live in the moment, bask in the happiness, then deal with the inevitable sadness when it arrives? Why end a good thing just because it cannot last?'

'You will die, Rosaline, and we will be left alone and heartbroken. Imagine how you would feel if he died...'

I remembered how I felt when he was shot by the Sontaran and gave an involuntary shudder. 'If he doesn't mind, neither do I. Life goes on; he knows that.'

'Only the Doctor could find somebody as stubborn and headstrong as the Doctor,' he replied angrily.

'Somebody always has to die first in the relationship, I don't understand why you can't accept that.'

'For your confounded species, the other is outlived by mere decades at most. If he is my sixth self, he can regenerate seven more times! We will live for thousands of years after your death and it could very well consume us. But, my dear girl, if you are selfish enough to let that happen, who am I to stop you?'

I glared at him. 'Who, indeed? Certainly no Doctor I've ever known.'

He sighed and offered me a small smile. 'I don't want to be enemies, my dear. I suppose we ought to agree to disagree?'

'Fine,' I replied. I didn't want to dwell on the matter any longer. Hearing the truth out loud was far worse than hearing it in my mind. Especially when the words were coming from the man who would one day be mine. He got back to fiddling with the console, whistling as he worked, and I picked up the nearest rose to me and twirled it in my fingers absent-mindedly until my Doctor reappeared. His arms were full of strange looking devices and instruments which he dropped in my own arms.

'We've been lacking an assistant,' he explained.

'Can't I just while away the time in the library?' I pleaded with no real hope.

'Of course not, you're needed here!'

I spent the rest of the day in the console room with the two Doctors, listening to their bickering, passing them the instruments, making coffee, and participating in small talk. I could still feel the tension between the third Doctor and myself but my Doctor either didn't seem to notice it or had decided to ignore it. It was hard to contain my excitement when my Doctor finally said, 'well, that should just about do it.' The console looked good as new, I just prayed it would actually work.

'Do you think that it is ready?' I asked the third Doctor.

'Yes, I should think so. Best test her our locally first though.'

My Doctor began the dematerialisation sequence and the time rotor sprung into action. 'We can't take the Doctor with us!' I said in surprise.

'Of course we can: it's only a small trip!' I had sudden visions of being stuck with the third Doctor forever because my one couldn't get us back to UNIT HQ. It wasn't a welcome thought. The time rotor stopped and my Doctor pulled the lever to open the front doors. He ushered us all out of the TARDIS and to my immense relief, I discovered that we in the grounds of the headquarters. 'See,' he said to me, smugly.

'Impressive,' I replied. We returned to the TARDIS and my Doctor took us back to the laboratory. Once we were all out of the TARDIS, my Doctor held out his hand to his younger self.

'Well, I suppose this is goodbye.'

'I suppose it is,' the third agreed, taking the proffered hand and shaking it.

'I can't say that it has been the most pleasant of experiences. But I suppose my gratitude is in order. I would never have been able to fix the TARDIS so quickly without your help.'

'I doubt you would have been able to fix it at all without my help. Now, do try not to break her again!'

'Oh don't start, you overdressed orangutan.'

'Goodbye Doctor,' I interjected, before he could retaliate to my Doctor.

'Goodbye my dear,' he replied politely as he pulled me in for a hug. 'Think about what I've said,' he said into my ear so that my Doctor wouldn't hear. I glared into his chest and said nothing. I broke away first and returned to my Doctor's side. 'Well, off you go then. I have my own TARDIS to fix now.' My Doctor inclined his head and we returned to our own TARDIS. The Doctor turned on the scanner and we saw a gloomy looking third Doctor watching us as we dematerialised to end up in the time vortex.

'Poor fellow,' my Doctor commented. 'Still, plenty of adventures on the horizon for him.'

'Do you know why you can't remember any of this?' I asked in curiosity.

'Oh yes,' he replied, rubbing his head slightly and smiling mischievously. 'I booby-trapped his own TARDIS just after he reversed the polarity of the neutron flow in the console. A dull thud to the head and partial memory loss awaits him when he opens his TARDIS door. Payback of sorts. Besides, better to be safe than sorry!'

I tried to feel sorry for the Doctor unknowingly walking into a painful trap but, somehow, I just couldn't.


End file.
